Background
Open Access publishing is an important part of the Open Science movement, which is already well underway. UKB – sometimes in collaboration with UNL – has included an Open Access component in contracts with the major publishers since 2015. This allows our authors to publish scientific articles in Open Access at no additional cost. This allows our authors to publish scientific articles in Open Access at no additional cost. In addition, all Dutch universities have a repository, where researchers are able to make author versions of their publications available in Open Access. However, there is still much to be done.
Goal
The Open Access working group sees itself as a bridge between local, national and international developments – for example at universities, research funders and publishers – and researchers who have to deal with these new developments. The group has a broad network, provides solicited and unsolicited advice on new developments, supports projects, for example for the development or implementation of new tools or policies, and is a key player in the communication with researchers and the public. Its goal is to facilitate the transition to Open Access for all parties.
Activities
The Open Access working group is involved in a wide range of activities. The following are a selection of its activities this year, in no particular order:
- Taverne amendement: After the successful pilot in 2019/2020, the working group is now scaling up the use of the amendment. It researches and implements automation (or semi-automation) of workflows and opt-out systems.
- Open Access agreements with publishers: Together with UKBsis, the group is working on improving the alignment of contractual Open Access agreements with daily practice For example, it advises publishers on the workflows that researchers need to go through in order to make use of the agreements. The group looks specifically at how it can better support researchers in deals with a cap.
- Open Access monitoring: A number of the group members are working together with CWTS and Rathenau on an update of the methodology for the UNL Open Access monitor.
- Implementation Plan S: The working group follows the developments of NWO and the European Union regarding the implementation of Plan S, and it translates this into advice and communication material for researchers.
- The working group is responsible for editing the openaccess.nl, which not only provides the latest information about Dutch Read & Publish deals, but also background information and news about developments in the field of Open Access.
- The working group provides information and texts for the Journal Browser, developed by Wageningen University and Research (WUR). Here, researchers not only find information about journals that are part of Dutch Read & Publish agreements, but also general information about a large collection of scientific journals.
- The working group aims to publish an information guide on an Open Access-related topic every year. For example, the working group has written guides on preprints, Creative Commons licences and questionable publishing practices.
Results, the status of Open Access in the Netherlands
The efforts of this working group – and of many others who are committed to Open Access in the Netherlands – are paying dividends year after year: the percentage of Open Access has been growing steadily for years. In 2022, 89% of Dutch articles in scientific journals were available in Open Access. The figures for the 2023 publication year will be announced in the autumn of 2024.
Documents
- Annual WGOA 2024
- Creative Commons: In collaboration with NWO, we have written a guide to Creative Commons, advising researchers on the choice of their Open Access licence.
- Preprints: This guide answers questions from both researchers and reading public about publishing, interpreting and using preprints.
- Open Science, a practical guide for young researchers: This guide provides researchers with the best tools and best practices to implement Open Science at every stage of their research. The guide was developed in collaboration with UNL, DANS and NWO. The guide was developed in collaboration with UNL, DANS and NWO.
- Predatory and Questionable Publishing Practices: This guide answers questions about how researchers can recognise and avoid these publisher practices.
Members
The working group consists of one Open Access expert per University. All members bring different types of expertise from their backgrounds, for example in law, research or communication. In addition, it has links with NWO, universities of applied sciences, DANS-KNAW, NPOS and UNL.
Ron Aardening – Maastricht University
Pascal Braak – University of Amsterdam
Lisa Idebolo – TU Eindhoven
Beatriz Ferreira – Tilburg University
Dirk van Gorp – Radboud University Nijmegen
Chantal Hukkelhoven – Wageningen University and Research
Just de Leeuwe – TU Delft
Nicole Loorbach – University of Twente
Anne van den Maagdenberg– VU Amsterdam, secretary
Heleen Palmen – Leiden University, voorzitter
Daan Rutten – Tilburg University
Jeroen Sondervan – NWO liaison
Andrea Tarchi – Erasmus University Rotterdam
Giulia Trentacosti – University of Groningen
Hanna De Vries – Utrecht University
Astrid van Wesenbeeck – National Library of the Netherlands
Arjan Schalken – UKBsis
Jeroen Sondervan – NWO and regieorgaan OA
UKB Liaison: Hubert Krekels – Wageningen University and Research
Links
Universiteiten van Nederland: Open Access