Budapest Open Access Initiative Hits Milestone

Information Industry News

The Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI) celebrated its 20th Anniversary this month. The BOAI was the first to define the term "open access" and its definition has since become canonical. 

This year marks BOAI's 20th anniversary! To celebrate this milestone and prepare for the future of #openaccess, we've released four major recommendations for the next 10 years that call for greater equity and inclusivity in sharing knowledge. #BOAI20 https://t.co/Llswk2tWTa

— BOAI (@TheBOAI) March 17, 2022

From the official press release, dated March 15, the four key recommendations are as follows:

1. Host OA research on open infrastructure. Host and publish OA texts, data, metadata, code, and other digital research outputs on open, community-controlled infrastructure. Use infrastructure that minimizes the risk of future access restrictions or control by commercial organizations. Where open infrastructure is not yet adequate for current needs, develop it further.

2. Reform research assessment and rewards to improve incentives. Adjust research assessment practices for funding decisions and university hiring, promotion, and tenure decisions. Eliminate disincentives for OA and create positive new incentives for OA.

3. Favor inclusive publishing and distribution channels that never exclude authors on economic grounds. Take full advantage of OA repositories and no-APC journals (“green” and “diamond” OA). Move away from article processing charges (APCs).

4. When we spend money to publish OA research, remember the goals to which OA is the means. Favor models which benefit all regions of the world, which are controlled by academic-led and nonprofit organizations, which avoid concentrating new OA literature in commercially dominant journals, and which avoid entrenching models in conflict with these goals. Move away from read-and-publish agreements.