STM comment on cOAlition S Guidance on Implementation - Addendum

"STM agrees that targets and milestones are necessary to measure the transition to Open Access, but mandating them may run counter to our overall shared goal. With only 6% of all journal articles connected to funding by the current cOAlition S membership, the specified targets will be difficult to achieve and support without a significant number of new funders and institutions willing to financially support the transition to OA. Setting a blanket ‘tipping point’ does not recognise the differences in funding which exist across research communities. Some journals would be able to transition to full OA when they reach a 50% penetration rate, however others would not prove sustainable with the remaining 50% made up of many unfunded authors...."