EUA webinar series: Universities and the future of scholarly publishing

This final webinar of the series "Universities and the future of scholarly publishing" addressed imminent and practical questions about universities and the implementation of Plan S. In partnership with Coalition S, this webinar offered an opportunity for EUA members to exchange on several approaches universities can take to advance Open Access.

2021 is bringing about fundamental changes for Europe’s researchers regarding how to publish articles and papers. Horizon Europe and Plan S require immediate and full Open Access and several paths can be chosen to comply with the new requirements. EUA has partnered with Coalition S to develop a practical, flexible checklist to support universities in using their institutional power to promote immediate and full Open Access in alignment with Plan S. This webinar will introduce the checklist and discuss how universities can take action to advance Open Access.

A recording of the webinar is available on our EUA Youtube Channel.

Speakers and presentations

Discussants

  • Mojca Kotar, Assistant Secretary General, University Office of Library Activities, University of Ljubljana
  • Hardy Schwamm, Open Scholarship Librarian, Library of the National University of Ireland Galway

Chaired by Stephane Berghmans, EUA, Director for Research & Innovation

 

From 18 May until 15 June, EUA hosted the webinar series “Universities and the future of scholarly publishing”.

18 May: Webinar I - Into the unknown: most likely futures for Open Access publishing
25 May: Webinar II - Universities and the promises of scholar-led publishing
8 June: Webinar III - Quo vadis, transformative agreements?
15 June: Webinar IV - Let’s get practical: aligning institutional action with Plan S

Scholarly publishing began experiencing a transition long before the Covid-19 crisis showed the power of Open Access in advancing knowledge amidst a global pandemic. The move away from the traditional subscription model has been happening now for several years. New types of Open Access agreements - replacing the traditional big deals - are emerging around the globe. This new landscape is complex and its future is uncertain. Scholarly publishing is entering into uncharted waters, with publishers big and small experimenting with flipped business models, and research organisations and communities proactively building alternative means of scholarly communication.

Universities, through their dual role as hosts of researchers and economic actors in scholarly communication, can be a crucial factor in determining which course scholarly publishing will take. Collective action from universities, as part of consortia or as actors determining institutional publishing policies, can and has had an impact.

EUA has been a vocal supporter of Open Access for years and continues in this role. The Association’s positon “Universities without walls – A vision for 2030” stresses the commitment of Europe’s universities to Open Science as the new normal, promoting and supporting a diverse publishing system. Open Science is a core element of the EUA Strategic Plan and a crucial part of its “Perspectives on the new European Research Area”.

Following the strategic reflections in the 2020 report “Read & Publish contracts in the context of a dynamic scholarly publishing system”, EUA is offering a series of webinar discussions about the role of universities in determining the future of scholarly publishing. The webinar series aims to raise awareness across universities about their role in developing an Open Access publishing system and to engage in a discussion with universities, consortia, funders, researchers, publishers and other stakeholders.

Divided in four events, the first three webinars will be organised as foresight-oriented, strategic discussions. The fourth and final event, in partnership with Coalition S, will focus on addressing imminent and practical questions about universities and the implementation of Plan S.

The EUA webinar series will be of interest to university and library leadership, leaders in scholarly communication and publishing and anyone else interested in Open Access.

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