The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has taken a significant step towards increasing openness and accessibility to its Federally funded research. In a move aligned with the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to transparency and data sharing, the DOE has released a comprehensive plan aimed at making its research findings readily available to the public, researchers, and journalists. With a vast network of 17 National Laboratories and various programs supporting research at universities and private institutions, the DOE's plan will ensure that thousands of research papers each year are accessible to all at no cost.
The public access plan by the DOE aligns with the guidelines laid out by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in August 2022. The OSTP called on Federal agencies to make publications and supporting data from federally funded research publicly accessible without any embargo on their release. Building upon its first plan introduced in 2014, which expanded public access to nearly 200,000 articles and accepted manuscripts, the DOE's new plan aims to make scientific data even more accessible through robust data management planning requirements.
Key components of the plan, in accordance with the OSTP memo, include eliminating any "embargo" period before the public gains free access to journal articles or final accepted manuscripts resulting from federal funding. The DOE will enable immediate access to scientific data displayed in or underlying publications, as well as broader access to scientific data not directly featured in publications. Additionally, the plan advocates for the broad adoption of persistent identifiers (PIDs) for research outputs, organizations, awards, contracts, and individuals.
The majority of the plan's requirements and guidelines will be implemented by the end of 2024, with full implementation expected by the end of 2025. The DOE intends to adopt a model for granting access to publications and scientific data similar to existing practices, using submissions of accepted manuscripts or open-access articles through its public access repository. Furthermore, for data sharing, researchers will submit data management and sharing plans to the DOE.
The new plan highlights the need to submit accepted manuscripts or open access journal articles immediately upon publication, placing a greater emphasis on the immediate and broader sharing of scientific data. Furthermore, the DOE will continue to pioneer the use of PIDs among Federal research agencies, expanding its support for PIDs in various research aspects such as data, software, research and sponsoring organizations, and individual researchers.
In the development of its plan, the DOE actively engaged with diverse communities, and it seeks to continue soliciting input from researcher communities, libraries, professional societies, publishers, Federal agency partners, and the public as it progresses with implementation. The DOE's efforts mark a significant stride in fostering open science and transparent access to federally funded research, ultimately advancing knowledge and innovation for the benefit of society.
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