In a significant move to safeguard its digital content, the Public Library of Science (PLOS) has announced a strategic partnership with CLOCKSS (Controlled LOCKSS), an initiative dedicated to preserving scholarly content. This collaboration marks a milestone in ensuring the long-term preservation of open-access scientific research, reinforcing PLOS’s mission to make scientific knowledge freely available to all.
PLOS has been a pioneering force in advancing open-access publishing by removing paywalls and promoting unrestricted access to scientific research. By providing free access to vital research, PLOS has democratized the availability of scientific information, allowing researchers, policymakers, and the public to engage with critical discoveries. This open-access model has proven especially impactful in fields such as public health, climate science, and environmental sustainability.
However, the shift towards digital formats introduces new challenges. Unlike traditional print publications, digital content is vulnerable to technological changes, data corruption, platform discontinuation, and even natural disasters. These risks highlight the need for robust digital preservation strategies to secure the longevity of scholarly content.
To address these challenges, PLOS has partnered with CLOCKSS, a decentralized archival network known for its expertise in safeguarding scholarly content. Through this collaboration, PLOS's collection of 14 open-access journals—covering diverse disciplines like biology, medicine, public health, and genetics—will be securely archived to ensure their continued accessibility. This initiative aims to preserve critical research outputs for future generations, despite potential technological shifts or disruptions.
The partnership enhances PLOS’s ability to focus on its core mission of promoting open science, while CLOCKSS brings its proven expertise in digital preservation. By leveraging CLOCKSS’s distributed archival infrastructure, PLOS can be assured that its content is safeguarded against risks such as data degradation and technological obsolescence.
For CLOCKSS, adding PLOS’s diverse research portfolio to its archive strengthens its role as a trusted guardian of academic content. This collaboration reinforces CLOCKSS’s commitment to preserving research for the future, ensuring that crucial studies—particularly in areas like digital health and sustainability—remain accessible for decades to come.
This partnership also emphasizes a shared commitment to equitable access to information. By ensuring that PLOS’s open-access journals are preserved, CLOCKSS and PLOS are championing global access to scientific knowledge without economic barriers. This commitment not only promotes inclusivity but also supports a broader scientific community, enabling researchers, educators, and policymakers worldwide to benefit from critical insights.
As PLOS and CLOCKSS collaborate, they contribute to a sustainable future where scientific knowledge remains a public resource. This partnership underscores the importance of digital preservation in an ever-evolving academic landscape, ensuring that the benefits of open-access research endure well into the future.
In a world where knowledge is both rapidly expanding and vulnerable to digital disruptions, initiatives like the PLOS-CLOCKSS partnership play a critical role in preserving the integrity and accessibility of scholarly research for future generations.
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