In a collaborative effort to promote equitable participation in knowledge-sharing, cOAlition S, Jisc, and PLOS have joined forces to establish a multi-stakeholder working group. This group will focus on identifying innovative business models and arrangements that move away from Article Processing Charges (APCs) and pave the way for a more inclusive and sustainable publishing ecosystem.
The working group aims to bring together representatives from three key stakeholders – funders, institutions/library consortia, and publishers – in a balanced and diverse composition. With a maximum of twelve participants, the group will engage in a series of up to six meetings, working towards a crucial outcome: the development of a model or models that enable equitable participation in knowledge sharing.
Interested parties are invited to apply for membership in the working group by submitting their applications through the designated form available at https://coalitions.typeform.com/MultiGroup. The deadline for applications is August 25th, 2023.
To ensure a well-rounded representation, the organizing committee will review applications with the aim of achieving a diverse membership that reflects the interests and perspectives of different stakeholders. The inaugural meeting of the working group is scheduled to take place via videoconference on September 14th, 2023, from 14:00 to 15:30 BST.
The overarching aims of the multi-stakeholder working group are as follows: Identifying business models and arrangements that foster equitable participation in knowledge-sharing: The group will explore alternative approaches that move beyond the current APC-based payment model, aiming to eliminate barriers to access for individuals and institutions with limited financial resources; Replacing the 'per unit' payment model: By investigating more equitable payment models, the working group aims to address the inherent challenges and drawbacks associated with APCs, such as the burden they impose on researchers and the distortion of incentives within the scholarly communication system; Supporting a non-APC publishing ecosystem with research funders' funds: The group will examine how funds allocated by research funders to support Open Access can be utilized to best support a publishing ecosystem that does not rely on APCs. This exploration aims to optimize the use of resources and ensure the broad dissemination of research outputs; Mitigating unintended consequences of individual grants: The working group will tackle the potential issues arising from publishing funding streams being locked within individual grants, seeking to identify strategies that ensure the efficient and effective allocation of resources while avoiding unnecessary administrative complexities; and Encouraging Open Science practices: Recognizing the importance of Open Science, the group will actively promote practices that foster transparency, collaboration, and accessibility in the research process. By embracing Open Science principles, the working group aims to drive positive change in scholarly communication.
The current scholarly publishing system relies heavily on APCs, which have played a role in advancing Open Access but have also introduced challenges and limitations. The aim of the working group is to reimagine the publishing landscape, designing models that support born-digital Open Science and empower all stakeholders involved in the research process.
By convening this multi-stakeholder working group, cOAlition S, Jisc, and PLOS demonstrate their commitment to fostering an inclusive and sustainable knowledge-sharing environment. Through collaborative efforts and innovative thinking, the group hopes to lay the groundwork for a transformative shift in scholarly publishing that benefits the research community and society as a whole.
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