Revised Guidance from the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Encourages Open Access in Research for Enhanced Innovation

Revised Guidance from the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Encourages Open Access in Research for Enhanced Innovation

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has issued a memorandum to federal agencies, requiring them to make the results of all taxpayer-funded research publicly accessible by 2025. This move signifies a significant shift in the way research is disseminated, with potential economic impacts and the emergence of new business models within the publishing industry.

Under transformative agreement models, research institutions pay publishers for open access publishing of their scientists' scholarship. This change eliminates embargo periods, ending a 12-month embargo period in which academic publishers could paywall federally funded research. The NIH's policy specifically requires immediate public availability via PubMed Central upon publication of NIH-funded manuscripts, without embargo, effective July 1, 2025.

The shift towards free, immediate dissemination of research has several potential economic impacts. Revenue pressure on subscription journals is imminent as immediate open access eliminates the period during which publishers could charge for subscription access before making papers free. Increased competition from open access platforms like PubMed Central puts pressure on publishers to compete, potentially decreasing their control over content distribution and pricing.

However, publishers may seek to recoup revenue via other means such as article processing charges (APCs) or service fees. Cost savings and redistribution are also expected as researchers and institutions save costs on journal subscriptions. The economics of how publication and research funding intersect may also be impacted, with publishers facing pressure to adapt to ensure authors’ compliance to avoid losing federal funding.

In response to these changes, publishers are exploring various strategies to sustain revenue while complying with policy requirements. Transformative agreements, where publishers negotiate "read and publish" or "publish and read" deals with institutions and consortia, combine subscription and publication fees into bundled contracts, facilitating compliance with public access.

The increased adoption of open access models, which charge APCs for publication rather than subscription fees, is another emerging trend. Publishers might invest more in managing OA processes efficiently and attracting funding agency-supported open access manuscripts.

Value-added services, such as enhanced peer review, data curation, analytics, and editorial quality assurance, are also being considered as differentiators to justify charges beyond the article’s core content. Platform licensing and partnerships, where publishers partner with public or institutional repositories to integrate submission workflows and ensure compliance while maintaining some control and revenue-sharing arrangements, are also on the rise.

Hybrid models, combining traditional subscription with OA options, allow authors funded by federal grants to publish open access while still serving other segments of the market that prefer subscription access. Some publishers have adopted a tiered color system where different open access "colors" represent a different copyright, payer, and access combination.

The collaborative response to COVID-19 between government and industry shows the value of public access to accelerating research. Public access makes the scientific process more transparent to average citizens, promoting greater trust and integrity in scientific research. However, there is disagreement among publishers about the ultimate impact of lifting the embargo period on their business sustainability and quality.

Since the 1980s, the government has supported access to the products of federally funded research. Increased access to federally funded research helps expedite the innovation process and brings a number of positive social benefits. The OSTP estimates that the total cost to the American taxpayer from public access policies will be minimal, accounting for less than 0.5 percent of total R&D expenditures in the United States.

In conclusion, the updated federal public access policies will disrupt traditional subscription-based publishing economics by demanding immediate, free public access to research outputs. The publishing industry is adapting by exploring transformative agreements, open access models, and value-added services to sustain revenue while complying with policy requirements. OSTP is considering how the updated guidance could disrupt the publishing industry and should proceed carefully, weighing the benefits of public access with potential costs, and considering future ways to facilitate data sharing for other public interest issues.

1. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has mandated that federal agencies make all taxpayer-funded research accessible to the public by 2025.
2. This move towards data-driven research and its immediate dissemination could lead to economic impacts, such as revenue pressure on subscription journals and potential new business models.
3. The NIH's policy specifically requires that NIH-funded manuscripts be immediately available via PubMed Central upon publication, eliminating the 12-month embargo period.
4. Publisher strategies to maintain revenue include transformative agreements, hybrid models, and value-added services like enhanced peer review and data curation.
5. A key point of debate among publishers is the ultimate impact of lifting the embargo period on their business sustainability and the quality of research.
6. Open access models, data collection, and policy-and-legislation are crucial components of innovation in technology, science, medical-conditions, education-and-self-development, and general-news sectors.
7. The OSTP is considering the broader implications of these updated policies, including the potential disruption to the publishing industry, the benefits of public access, and future ways to facilitate data sharing for public interest issues.

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