The Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP) has submitted its response to the UK Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2029 Open Access (OA) Policy Consultation. Representing over 320 member organizations across 35 countries, ALPSP advocates for not-for-profit organizations publishing scholarly and professional content.
In their letter, ALPSP highlights the UK's significant progress in Gold Open Access (Gold OA) publishing. In 2022, 56% of the UK's scholarly outputs were published Gold OA, a substantial increase from 9% in 2012. The UK also leads globally, with 50% of its outputs published Gold OA compared to the global average of 46%.
“Gold OA fully supports immediate and irrevocable availability upon publication of the Version of Record (VoR),” states ALPSP. They credit the success of the REF 2021 OA Policy, noting that only 25% of in-scope outputs did not meet OA objectives, often for sound policy reasons. Gold OA is deemed the most viable route to ensure trusted, reliable, and verified content is widely accessible.
ALPSP emphasizes the advantages of Gold OA, including immediate global distribution, increased usage, and collaborative opportunities through Transformative Agreements (TAs). These agreements help mitigate financial impacts and administrative burdens, fostering equitable access to OA publishing across diverse disciplines.
The association also addresses the potential risks of applying Creative Commons licences to different versions of articles, warning that this could undermine research integrity and the sustainability of OA publishing. They argue that conflicting licences might lead to lower quality and less discoverable UK research, ultimately compromising collective goals.
“Enabling UK researchers to publish the VoR under an appropriate OA licence maximizes its global impact and hence the return on investment of funded research,” ALPSP asserts. They advocate for clearer funding policies to ensure equitable access to OA publishing routes.
ALPSP calls for flexibility in the REF29 OA policy to accommodate different publishing models, including subscription routes. This flexibility is crucial for smaller UK publishers and independent researchers who may not have access to institutional funding. They also emphasize the importance of maintaining high-quality publishing standards and research integrity in the face of technological challenges and commercial reuse concerns.
The association urges the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to consider a six-month lead time for the implementation of any new policy to allow researchers to adjust their publishing plans accordingly. They also recommend clear communication of exceptions to ensure researchers are aware of all compliance options.
“High quality publishing must not become compromised by misinformation, technology misuse or abuse, and bad actors such as paper mills,” ALPSP warns. They call for continued investment in rigorous quality assurance processes and reliable funding models to support the diverse range of UK publishers.
ALPSP concludes their response by expressing their readiness to provide additional detail or evidence on any of the topics outlined in their letter. They look forward to further collaboration as the REF29 OA policy is developed.
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