You may be interested in my new article, just published in the latest issue of Learned Publishing:

Is open access affordable? Why current models do not work and why we need internet-era transformation of scholarly communications

In the article I review what happened in 2017-2018: librarians showing muscle in negotiations, publishers’ Read and Publish deals, and funders determined to force change with initiatives like Plan S. I conclude that these efforts will not bring about open access on a sustainable basis.

I argue that the focus on OA makes us miss a bigger problem: today’s scholarly communications is too expensive for today’s budgets. So, OA is not the primary problem, the publishing process is.

To solve it, I propose using the principles of digital transformation to reimagine publishing as a two‐step process. This would reduce costs significantly, opening a sustainable pathway for scholarly publishing and open access.

Toby Green

Public Affairs and Communications Directorate

OECD

+33 (0) 6 10 11 49 89