OPEN ACCESS 2015-2016 EUA SURVEY RESULTS

"This year sees the publication of the second EUA Open Access Survey for European universities. Conducted between the end of 2015 and early 2016, it received 169 responses (the first wave conducted in 2014-2015 received 106 responses). The results give a clear idea of institutional policies and researcher behaviour regarding open access to research results: the prevalence of incentive policies on open access; the creation of open repositories, at institutional level or shared among several institutions, which are not yet widely adopted; the need for awareness raising activities on the benefits of open access and on authors’ rights vis-à-vis publishers, particularly for researchers; and weak national regulations, especially when it comes to the length of embargo periods.

It is interesting to note that the percentages from the 2015-16 results are similar to those of the 2014-2015 survey – this indicates that Open Access develops in absolute numbers. The response rate for the 2016-2017 EUA Open Access Survey (currently under analysis) has more than doubled. Increasing response rates will give a more reliable comprehensive view of open access policies and practices at European universities."