The Confederation of Open Access Repositories (COAR) has published a strategic analysis examining the evolving socio-political landscape of scholarly communications and the forces likely to shape the repository ecosystem over the next three years. The report is intended to inform COAR members about emerging trends affecting repositories and to support the development of the next COAR strategy, scheduled for publication in December 2025.
The analysis provides an overview of current conditions influencing scholarly communications, open science, and repository infrastructures. It identifies a set of evolving and potentially volatile forces that may significantly impact repositories in the near term and outlines the implications of these developments for repository operations and strategy.
The report was developed using multiple sources of input, including a survey of COAR members conducted in August and September 2025, a review of relevant literature, consultations with experts in the scholarly communications space, and feedback from the COAR Executive Board. The findings reflect collective perspectives gathered from across the COAR community.
COAR stated that the analysis is intended to serve as a reference point for strategic planning and organizational alignment as repositories adapt to changing policy, technological, and governance environments within scholarly communications.
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