I am sceptical. Not that I think the facts are made up, but I see no trace of any activity to look for communication with other publishers – why only Frontiers?
I have seen scholars saying that Plan S is perfectly suited to Frontier’s business models, implying less suited for the business models of other publishers. I fail to see that Frontier’s business model is uniquely suited to Plan S, it fits most APC-based/commercial OA publishers.
Robert-Jan Smits has said that Plan S was developed partly based on consultations with publishers. Unless someone can document Frontiers was massively over-represented in this process, I will remain sceptical to the value of this story.
Best,
Jan Erik
Jan Erik Frantsvåg
Open Access Adviser
The University Library
UiT The Arctic University of Norway
phone +47 77 64 49 50
http://en.uit.no/ansatte/organisasjon/ansatte/person?p_document_id=43618&p_dimension_id=88187
Publications: http://tinyurl.com/6rycjns
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3413-8799
From: "Jim O'Donnell" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2019 12:54:38 -0700
This came across my screen today, making me aware that I know too
little about the author of the post, the publisher involved, and the
other facts known about the origins and development of Plan S. Is
this posting credible and how could it help me think about the plan
and the issues?
https://forbetterscience.com/2019/07/11/frontiers-and-robert-jan-smits-emails-reveal-how-plan-s-was-conceived/
Jim O'Donnell
ASU