Introducing OASPA’s Wayfinders: Increasing Equity in Open Access Publishing

"OASPA’s first webinar of 2024 introduces some of OASPA’s ‘wayfinders’ - examples of those increasing equity in OA in different ways.

Per-publication charges (APC/BPCs), Read & Publish transformative agreements, ‘publish-only’ agreements and most other pay-to-publish models in open access (OA) currently exclude many researchers without the ability to pay, and leave out those who aren’t affiliated with the ‘right’ institutions. Better engagement routes are also needed in all OA models so any scholar, regardless of funding, geography or affiliation, can have a voice in scholarly publishing and be a stakeholder with influence. Positive change is possible through the willingness of OA publishing organisations to increase equity in OA. Where there is a will there's a way, and throughout 2024 OASPA is amplifying ‘wayfinders’ - examples of those increasing equity in OA in different ways. In our launch webinar of the wayfinders series, discussion of four distinct models will spark thinking around correcting current trajectories of (predominantly) inequitable OA. This wayfinders-webinar features science journals from two different continents, books in the humanities, and a medical journal turning the APC/waiver model on its head in favour of total inclusion...."