The Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN) has signed an Expression of Interest for the Open Access 2020 (OA2020) Initiative, a global initiative led by the Max Planck Digital Library with the goal of unlocking scholarly journals from subscription publishing systems and transitioning them towards open access models.
CRKN’s participation in the OA2020 Initiative highlights Canada’s role in finding sustainable paths towards open access and the need for international collaboration in transforming scholarly communication. By advocating for flexible approaches to accelerate the transition to open access, by providing evidence-based solutions, and by providing access to important data including the OA2020 dataset and the Efficiency and Standards for Article Charges (ESAC) Registry, the OA2020 Initiative is well-aligned with CRKN’s goals for improving access to scholarly content.
CRKN’s commitment to promoting and participating in multi-pronged open access initiatives is stated in its 2019-2024 Strategic Plan, which contains the key strategic goal Transform Scholarly Communications. CRKN’s updated Licensing Principles, released earlier this month, also demonstrate how CRKN collaborates through a variety of means to achieve open access. Recent achievements such as the transformative agreement negotiated with SAGE and participation in the PLOS Community Action Publishing program, as well as ongoing participation in projects such as the Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access in Publishing in Particle Physics (SCOAP³) and coordinating national contributions to The Global Sustainability Coalition for Open Science Services (SCOSS), mean CRKN is well-positioned to join the OA2020 signatories.
CRKN joins the University of Alberta and nearly 150 research institutions and umbrella organizations worldwide in signing the Expression of Interest.
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