The Irish Research eLibrary (IReL) has published the OA2030: Assessing Pathways to 100% Open Access by 2030 report, a strategic analysis examining how Ireland can achieve full open access to research in a sustainable and inclusive manner.
The report assesses the actions needed from IReL and other stakeholders to support open access goals through 2030 and beyond. While Ireland has made significant progress through transformative publishing agreements, rising article processing charges, increasing subscription costs, and publisher-imposed repository embargoes are identified as continuing barriers to broader open access adoption.
According to the study, Ireland is unlikely to meet its 2030 open access target while maintaining cost control without further intervention. To address these challenges, the report recommends reducing reliance on publication volume-based pricing models, exploring funding approaches that are not tied directly to publication output, and fostering a research culture that prioritizes quality over quantity.
Additional recommendations include investing in lower-cost open access routes, strengthening secondary publication rights retention, supporting diamond open access publishing models, and expanding financial and performance monitoring to measure progress and evaluate the effectiveness of future initiatives.
IReL stated that implementing the recommendations will require coordinated action across Ireland's research sector. The organization noted that the report provides an evidence-based framework to help stakeholders advance the country's goal of achieving 100% open access in a sustainable and inclusive way.
The report was developed by the IReL Executive, Governance and Advisory Committees, in collaboration with Sesame Open Science, and is now publicly available.
Click here to read the original press release.
