The Publishers Association comments on release of the Finch report on how to expand access to research publications

“The Publishers Association (The PA) warmly welcomes and supports the ‘balanced package’ of recommendations for extending access to research outputs within the UK that are set out in the Finch report released today. We feel confident in confirming that the industry we represent will endorse and work to implement the recommendations of Finch as a balanced package of measures to extend access. Practical outcomes will include: setting up workflows for the APCs (article publishing charges)  that will fund so-called Gold Open Access (OA), extending existing licences for the universities, research institutes and the health sector; enabling free walk-in access via the public libraries network; supporting authors with their manuscript deposit mandates. extending existing licences for the universities, research institutes and the health sector; enabling free walk-in access via the public libraries network; supporting authors with their manuscript deposit mandates. The Finch recommendations represent an opportunity not only to extend access to research outputs globally for the benefit of UK research and UK researchers, but also to do so through active collaboration between stakeholders with different needs and perspectives, but convergent objectives. The PA and the publishers we represent stand ready to endorse and to implement the Finch balanced package and we invite our colleagues and fellow stakeholders to join us in the spirit of collaboration that has characterised the Finch group deliberations, for the benefit of our common purpose: the further progress of world leading UK research, and the globally recognised researchers who deliver it...”