EU-LIFE answers to Plan S implementation guidelines
Update from 28th of March
We invite the scientists willing to express their support as an individual researcher or as an institute to sign in this position here. This support could be publish later on here or disseminated by Twitter. Thanks for helping us building a strong voice for research on PlanS at European level!
EU-LIFE supports open access to scholarly publications recognising the rights of every researcher and citizen to access scientific literature (publishing as well as reading and re-using) as we believe science to be a public good for society.
We appreciate that the Plan S guidance document addresses several concerns raised by our previous statement and by other research communities. However, in answer to the two main questions regarding implementation raised during the public consultation, we believe that cOAlition S should work with diverse stakeholders to address these 7 main points:
1. A worldwide approach is essential to achieve genuine open access for the benefit of scientists and citizens.
2. The guidelines should include clear coordinated approaches to ensure that research evaluation focuses on quality rather than bibliometric indicators by providing incentives for research organisations and funders to evolve their evaluation system towards DORA principles
3. The guidance document needs to be more explicit about "transformative agreement" with publishers.
4. The concerns about the sustainability of small and medium learned societies that invest publishing revenues for the benefit of the research ecosystem should be addressed in more detail.
5. A closer collaboration should be established with researchers, research performing organisations and learned societies to achieve open access. We need to place researchers and their interests at the centre of the dialogue to avoid damaging the core of knowledge acquisition.
6. The need for public regulation of the publishing industry should be recognised.
7. The critical relevance of ensuring high level quality of the publishing system needs to be further emphasised.
About PlanS
On 4th September 2018, a group of national funders and charitable foundations (cOAlition S) announced Plan S which aims to achieve full and immediate open access to scientific publications. Plan S has the support of the European Commission and the European Research Council. To reach this bold goal, the coalition commits to implement specific measures on new funded grants by 1th January 2020 following 10 principles. Subsequently, cOAlition S has published a guidance on implementation of Plan S and opened a public consultation.
