This report from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) discusses financing mechanisms for open access publishing of federally funded research. Overall, the report underscores the importance of financing mechanisms to support open access publishing of federally funded research, emphasizing the need for continued efforts to ensure broad access to scientific knowledge while maintaining scientific integrity. This sharing of knowledge is important in the establishment of responsible research assessment practices, allowing for review of materials themselves and eliminating the need to rely on third-party metrics.
Broadly, the report touches base on the following:
- Scholarly publications in science and engineering have nearly tripled globally from 1996 to 2020, with China, India, and the United States being the leading contributors to this growth.
- The proportion of publicly accessible articles has risen notably among the top six article-producing countries.
- In the United States, five publishers handle a substantial volume of federally funded publications and openly accessible articles.
- There is a growing trend of publishing in fully open access journals.
- The federal government is dedicated to broadening access to federally funded research and ensuring scientific integrity through accountability measures.
OSTP (2023). Report to the U.S. Congress on Financing Mechanisms for Open Access Publishing of Federally Funded Research. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Open-Access-Publishing-of-Scientific-Research.pdf