UK Gov’t Supports Open Access Plan

The UK government releases its recommendation that open access be “the main vehicle for the publication of research,” though it warns of the costs that could entail.

Written byJef Akst

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Early last month, the United Kingdom’s Science Minister David Willets announced a plan to switch scientific publishing in the country to an entirely open access model. Now, the government has issued a report agreeing that open access journals should be “the main vehicle for the publication of research,” though the change could cost $80–90 million per year in publication charges and other costs, ScienceInsider reported.

“This comprehensive report will make a vital contribution to the development of policy on open access, which we will be setting out in the near future,” Willetts said in a statement.

Though the report was just released today (June 19), it has already drawn mixed reviews from the community. While many welcomed the report’s support of the open access movement, ...

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Meet the Author

Jef Akst
Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
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