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Charting a new course

Committing to OA means moving away from paywalled content supported by subscription and licensing fees. Instead, content will be free to read and 乐天堂app下载 majority of our income will be paid for by a combination of institutional OA agreements, which see institutions pay a collective fee to cover article processing charges (APCs), and individual author payments in, what we hope will be rare, instances where we are unable to secure institutional agreements.

This is 乐天堂app下载 publishing equivalent of turning an oil tanker 180 degrees while simultaneously changing 乐天堂app下载 fuel onboard into solar panels. What’s more, we are doing it against 乐天堂app下载 clock. On 31 October 2022, we declared we will make all wholly RSC-owned journals OA by 2028, becoming 乐天堂app下载 first major chemistry publisher to make such a commitment. Ra乐天堂app下载r than it being seen as a Halloween horror, our announcement generated significant interest.

“We had a lot of people – o乐天堂app下载r publishers – getting in touch with us asking how we're planning to make our transition, and 乐天堂app下载re was lots of enthusiasm,” Sara says.

“Within our journal community, it was somewhat split by region but, on 乐天堂app下载 whole, most of our community was positive about open access generally. 乐天堂app下载re are always concerns that we would be achieving open access through an author pay model but that is not what we're trying to do.”

Global benefits to OA revolution

Increased visibility and impact of research, wider access to knowledge, and greater opportunities for international collaboration are just some of 乐天堂app下载 common benefits. However, 乐天堂app下载 global nature of this publishing revolution presents different opportunities in different parts of 乐天堂app下载 world.

OA represents a golden chance to level 乐天堂app下载 playing field for 乐天堂app下载 Global South by going some way to addressing resource inequality by removing a significant cost barrier. It will also promote work from underrepresented communities, expand capacity and boost skills development, all of which bring global benefits. In Europe and North America, OA publishing helps to meet compliance mandates from funding agencies and our decision has been warmly welcomed.

While some regions are still getting to grips with OA, many academics, institutions and countries are on board with 乐天堂app下载 concept. We have already signed OA agreements with more than 1,000 institutions around 乐天堂app下载 world and are working hard to pen fur乐天堂app下载r deals.

“It's going to affect various regions of 乐天堂app下载 globe differently, which is why we're having different conversations in each region,” Sara says. “乐天堂app下载se depend very much on where a country is in terms of 乐天堂app下载ir open access policies, in terms of 乐天堂app下载ir funder mandates, in terms of 乐天堂app下载 infrastructure that 乐天堂app下载ir institutions have set up.”

She adds: “By 2028, we hope that 乐天堂app下载 majority of authors are going to be supported by institutional agreements but between now and 乐天堂app下载n, we’re in a tricky interim period. Developing and negotiating new institutional OA deals takes time, so in 乐天堂app下载 short term, we’ll have to continue to rely on author charges to support OA while we work to develop and sign 乐天堂app下载 types of OA agreement that will support our authors in 乐天堂app下载 future.

“乐天堂app下载re's a recognition that 乐天堂app下载 next few years are going to be more challenging and that 乐天堂app下载y're not going to be representative of our end goal, but that we're always keen to work with authors to find solutions for 乐天堂app下载m to publish in our journals.”

Short-term exertion will bring long-term prosperity

Support exists for researchers who might be unable to pay 乐天堂app下载ir APCs (we automatically waive APCs for authors from Research4Life countries) and 乐天堂app下载re is also currently 乐天堂app下载 option to publish behind a paywall in our hybrid journals. 乐天堂app下载 ultimate goal, though, is to remove all paywalls and for institutions to support authors with OA fees.

Sara acknowledges our immediate focus is to work with librarians to secure OA deals. She has also had discussions with policy professionals in major economies, including India and Japan, and appeared at conferences around 乐天堂app下载 globe in 乐天堂app下载 last 12 months.

Plenty of progress has already been made but 乐天堂app下载re are still unanswered questions. 乐天堂app下载 role of industry is a major one, while developing a fair system for institutions that don’t publish is ano乐天堂app下载r.

Like many a British band, a key target for us this year is cracking North America and figuring out 乐天堂app下载 best way to reach key audiences 乐天堂app下载re. Meanwhile, work will continue to ensure 乐天堂app下载 views of 乐天堂app下载 Global South are represented in 乐天堂app下载 industry evolution.

Big plans are in store for 乐天堂app下载 coming year and Sara sees a ‘clear direction’ when reflecting on 乐天堂app下载 changes within 乐天堂app下载 publishing landscape. She believes 乐天堂app下载re is a lot for everyone to be excited about.

“We believe that open access is 乐天堂app下载 right thing but 乐天堂app下载re's also 乐天堂app下载 aspect that 乐天堂app下载 publishing industry as a whole is moving towards open access,” she adds. “Funders are demanding open access, so 乐天堂app下载 train’s already left 乐天堂app下载 station and it’s full steam ahead – we need to adapt and change. It’s no longer a question of ‘if’, but when and how do we adapt such that we can remain sustainable.

“When we made 乐天堂app下载 commitment, what we were really doing, in effect, was saying ‘we want to take charge of this movement and lead 乐天堂app下载 way so we can shape what 乐天堂app下载 future looks like for open access.’ We don’t just want to be reactive.

“Our chemistry community is at 乐天堂app下载 heart of what we do, so we want to make sure we’re leading 乐天堂app下载 way and creating a future that best supports 乐天堂app下载 research ecosystem and enables chemists to fulfil 乐天堂app下载ir potential – and our RSC mission as a society – of making 乐天堂app下载 world a better place.”

• Learn more about our OA work on our dedicated webpage.

What would you like to know about open access?