Europese alliantie voor open access groeit - ScienceGuide

Google English: "European alliance for open access is growing

The first negotiations are in place for the open access team of the VSNU. It has become clear that it is on it or below it for the publishers. "We have shown that a 'no deal' is also possible," says negotiator Koen Becking, who will soon have strategic discussions with his European colleagues.

While the negotiations with Oxford University Press last year did not work out , this time an agreement was reached, according to the VSNU . The contract with Springer has also been extended to 2021. The content of this new contract has not (yet) been made public. The previous contract was finally made public after a wob request and it turned out that only a selection of magazines fell under the open access deal.

The British publisher Royal Society of Chemistry has not reached an agreement with the VSNU. As far as the dome is concerned, this does not have to mean an end to the negotiation, according to the press release : "The VSNU would like to continue talking to RSC if RSC is prepared to make further and fair agreements in the field of open access."

However, the VSNU is clearly not impressed by this setback and advises researchers to come to their articles via alternative routes . Methods such as interlibrary loans and the writing of the author (s) are actively promoted. However, the VSNU warns that the use of SciHub - however tempting - in the Netherlands is still illegal.

Joining hands at European level. According to Koen Becking, member of the VSNU negotiating team, the outcome of the first negotiations makes it clear where the negotiators stand. "We have shown that a 'no deal' is also possible," he says to ScienceGuide. We stand behind our commitment: we only pay for output. "

A 'no deal' is also possible. The big question now is what comes out of the negotiations with Elsevier. This publisher was also very restrictive in the previous round in facilitating open access . The new negotiations, which will take place this month, says Becking, are under great international pressure from Finland and Germany . The academics boycott the review process and several researchers have already given their place in the editors of top scientific journals.

As Becking said in an earlier interview with ScienceGuide, he sees an important role for Europe in enforcing open access. At that level, the coordination now also takes concrete forms. "In the month of May we have an appointment with the representatives of the most progressive EU countries." He can confirm that Horst Hippler ( Projekt Deal  ) and the special envoy open access of the EU Robert-Jan Smits will be present. In his last day as EU top official, Smits recently sent a letter to all ERC researchers with the clear message: if you do not publish open access, then there are financial consequences."