Author: Saskia Woutersen

Plan S: A public consultation.

Do you have an opinion about Open Access and Plan S? React by filling out this online survey (you can do so up to and including 6th February 2019). Want to know more before you fill it out? Then continue reading first.

What is Plan S?

The core objective of Plan S is that from 1st January 2020, all scholarly publications resulting from public research funding must be published in open access journals or on open access platforms. Plan S is initiated by cOAlition S, an international consortium of research funders (including NWO). Three charitable foundations (amongst which the Wellcome Trust and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) joined the cOAlition S. The plan is supported by many organizations such as the European Commission, the European Research Council, and the VSNU. The purpose of Plan S is accelerating the transition to open access. In Nature the initiator of the plan (Robert-Jan Smits, the European Commission’s special envoy on open access) says “the ‘S’ in Plan S can stand for ‘science, speed, solution, shock’”.

Scholars in favour and against

Scholars from across Europe have published an open letter opposing Plan S. On 11th December 2018 1.514 signatures have been processed opposing Plan S. The scholars state that they are in favour of open access but that Plan S goes much too far.

Others replied by publishing an open letter in support of Plan S. This letter has been signed by 1.788 scholars. The arguments of both groups can be found in their letters.

Public consultation of the guidelines

The debate about the plan has not gone unnoticed by cOAlition S. That is why cOAlition S decided to open up the Guidelines with information about how the principles of Plan S should be implemented for public consultation. The submission period for Dutch feedback has been extended. Submissions are welcome up to and including 6th February 2019. The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) has planned a meeting for the Dutch research community on 31st January, 2019 to discuss the guidelines. You can register here. Unfortunately, the websites about the meeting are in Dutch only.

Based on the newsletters of the VSNU

https://mailchi.mp/vsnu/newsletter-open-access-october-2018?e=%5BUNIQID%5D

https://mailchi.mp/vsnu/newsletter-open-access-november-2018?e=%5BUNIQID%5D