cOAlition S Releases Strategic Plan for 2026–2030
Statement: cOAlition S Reinforces Open Access Commitment While Advancing Next Strategic Phase www.coalition-s.org/coalition-s-... #oa #scholcomm #publishing #libraries
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cOAlition S, the group of funders and researchers formed to accelerate the transition of funded research to open access, has released its strategic plan for the next five years. The new plan identifies three strategic priorities—"strengthening the foundations for full, immediate, sustainable, equitable open access of scholarly peer-reviewed articles; supporting the digital infrastructure that enables Open Access; and exploring financially sustainable, equitable publishing systems while monitoring their progress and impact"—and provides a timeline for implementation.
“These three strategic priorities reflect our commitment to addressing the full spectrum of contemporary scholarly communication and the urgent need for more sustainable and equitable models,” noted Lidia Borrell-Damián, Secretary General of Science Europe and Chair of the cOAlition S Executive Steering Group. “We are building on seven years of proven impact while preparing for the challenges and opportunities that will shape the next five years of open science.“
The plan does not include a mandate, in contrast with the group's Plan S, released in 2018, but the coalition's commitment to open access (OA) remains firm. The third strategic priority is noteworthy in light of the fact that Plan S has been criticized by some for fostering growth of the "author pays" OA model, which poses a financial barrier for many researchers. As the new plan notes, the growth in popularity of this model has "highlighted issues of inequity, particularly in terms of affordability for researchers from less-resourced institutions or regions."
See the Coalition S website to read the full press release or the strategic plan.