Plan S for shock: the open access initiative that changed the face of global research. This is the story of open access publishing – why it matters now, and for the future. In a world where information has never been so accessible, and answers are available at the touch of a fingertip, we are hungrier for the facts than ever before – something the Covid-19 crisis has brought to light. And yet, paywalls put in place by multi-billion dollar publishing houses are still preventing millions from accessing quality, scientific knowledge – and public trust in science is under threat. On 4 September 2018, a bold new initiative known as ‘Plan S’ was unveiled, kickstarting a world-wide shift in attitudes towards open access research. For the first time, funding agencies across continents joined forces to impose new rules on the publication of research, with the aim of one day making all research free and available to all. What followed was a debate of global proportions, as stakeholders asked: Who has the right to access publicly-funded research? Will it ever be possible to enforce change on a multi-billion dollar market dominated by five major players? Here, the scheme’s founder, Robert-Jan Smits, makes a compelling case for Open Access, and reveals for the first time how he set about turning his controversial plan into reality – as well as some of the challenges faced along the way. In telling his story, Smits argues that the Covid-19 crisis has exposed the traditional academic publishing system as unsustainable.
Author(s): Robert-Jan Smits, Rachael Pells
Edition: 1
Publisher: Ubiquity Press
Year: 2022
Language: English
Commentary: TruePDF
Pages: 226
Tags: Knowledge; Publishing; Policy; Academia; Science; Open Access
Cover
Title page
Copyright page
Contents
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Introduction
Part One
1.1 Welcome to the world of academic publishing
1.2 What exactly is open access anyway?
A note on licensing
1.3 Why OA?
Reason 1: It’s the principle
Reason 2: It makes economic sense
Reason 3: It makes research more accessible - which benefits society
Reason 4: Open access makes the research process faster and more efficient
Reason 5: Open access improves the quality and trustability of research
Reason 6: It’s in the public interest
Reason 7: It makes research more inclusive
Reason 8: It allows for inclusiveness and connectivity
Reason 9: It helps the Global South
Reason 10: Academic research was always intended to be open
1.4 Academic publishing: a brief history
History repeating
Publishing becomes big business
1.5 The internet and OA: the early pioneers
The European campaign
A new era for academic publishing
1.6 The Wellcome Trust and Gates Foundation pave the way for OA
1.7 The Finch Report: taking OA to a political level
1.8 Brussels gets involved; the momentum picks up
1.9 Slow progress: the move towards OA stagnates
Reason 1: Big business, big financial interests and demanding shareholders
Hybrids: a halfway house
Reason 2: Obsession with ‘impact factor’
Reason 3: Lip service to DORA
Reason 4: Resistance to change; reluctance to take action
1.10 Time for a radical intervention
Part Two
2.1 The open access envoy
2.2 Forming a plan
2.3 The impact on smaller publishers
2.4 Warning bells
2.5 Gaining allies
2.6 The European tour
2.7 Support arrives from the universities
2.8 Gaining support from the younger generation of researchers
2.9 Compromises, compromises
2.10 The Coalition is born
2.11 The first setbacks
2.12 Putting the Science Europe face on; Plan S makes its first headlines
September 2018: The launch
2.13 To the movies
2.14 October 2018: the US road trip
2.15 You win some, you lose some
A breakdown of the common criticisms to Plan S
APCs and the quality debate
Lack of global awareness/coordination
An attack on academic freedom?
2.16 Towards a Plan S implementation guidance
2.17 Berlin 2018: a radical intervention
China shocks the world at OA2020 in Berlin
Transforming the narrative
2.18 Celebrating rebels
2.19 Berlin take two: entering the lion’s den
2.20 Latin America speaks out
2.21 Big interest from big players and another withdrawal
2.22 The goodbye
Part Three
3.1 Changing the narrative
1. Transformative agreements: a valid solution?
A mixed reception
2. New publishing platforms
3. Copyright reigns supreme
But publishers won’t give up copyright without a fight
3.2 Reimagining publisher business models
The big five today: appetite for change?
The fall of publisher power
3.3 The future of academic publishing
Idea 1: Journals will be dead
Idea 2: Articles will be dead - well, almost
Idea 3: New technologies will lead the way
If data is made open
Idea 4: Attitudes towards cost will change
And journals will have to get creative
But not all will survive
3.4 Navigating the data-led future
The role of funders and institutions
Managing academic data
Europe’s role in protecting academic data
The impact of Covid
Putting power back into the hands of experts
3.5 Plan S as a continued source of debate
No silver bullet
Changing the culture in academia with each new generation
Money remains a sticking point
The final word on hybrids
Looking beyond the APC model
Will the US make a move on OA?
3.6 Open science: the new normal
3.7 Taking stock of the legacy
Epilogue
1. Make a plan
2. Seek out allies
3. Listen to your peers
4. Communicate, and stay in the news
5. Engage with your opponents
6. Learn to be resilient
7. Know when it is done; plan an exit
Index
