This spring, the Research Councils UK, on behalf of the Global Research Council (GRC) and working together with the British Library, hosted a London workshop that brought together publishers, funders, libraries and other stakeholders from across the world to discuss perspectives on Open Access (OA) communication in a global research environment.
A report, specially commissioned by RCUK, on attitudes to the future of commercial publishing in the light of open access, helped participants examine the current status of policy and practice and identify the next steps necessary to unlock the future. For the report, analyst Mark Ware interviewed 20 publishers of different types and scale: for-profit and not-for-profit; open access and subscription-based; commercial, society, university presses; and with representation from all scholarly fields. He detailed his findings in a recent webinar interview with CCC’s Chris Kenneally.
Open access – and open science more broadly – is a key nexus for change, in Ware’s assessment. As the Nobel laureate in physics Neils Bohr once observed, prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future. Research and research communication make up a complex ecosystem, yet momentum certainly lies on the side of increased openness.
Mark Ware has worked at Board Director level in STM and business publishing and for online/elearning companies in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. As an Affiliate Analyst for Outsell, Mark provides analytic coverage in the Scientific, Technical & Medical (STM) publishing and information markets. Prior to becoming an independent consultant in 2003, he was founder/Director of Ingenta’s Continuing Professional Development /elearning division; Executive Director at CMPI where Mark ran the Healthcare division; and Publishing Director at IOP Publishing for the UK’s Institute of Physics.