EUA publishes roadmap on Open Access
The Council of the European University Association (EUA) has now approved its ‘Roadmap on Open Access to Research Publications’.
The roadmap aims to assist universities in the transition to Open Access and is the first in a series of initiatives that the EUA plans to develop to address the implications of Open Science for European universities.
The roadmap has been drafted in close collaboration with the EUA’s Expert Group on Science 2.0/Open Science, a group of 20 experts from 19 countries designated by their respective national rectors’ conferences. It is a key element of the EUA’s long term vision to support its members in the transition towards Open Science, also formally endorsed at a meeting on 29 January.
In that context, the EUA intends to tackle, progressively, all the main issues at stake, including research assessment and researchers’ career development, the quality of publications, text and data mining (TDM), copyright, data protection and infrastructure.
The roadmap primarily focuses on fostering structured dialogue among all stakeholders; promoting and supporting the adoption of Open Access policies, infrastructures and initiatives by European universities; encouraging the development and establishment of advanced scientific recognition and research assessment systems; and addressing intellectual property rights and copyright policies for various outputs.
It is also centred on considering alternative and sustainable Open Access business models; promoting access, use and sharing of research publications and data, including TDM; and encouraging, supporting and eventually monitoring the establishment of comprehensive standards for institutional Open Access policies concerning research publications and teaching materials.
“EUA has come up with a set of well-defined objectives and priority actions for the university sector that will be taken forward in the coming months. By acting together, European universities will undoubtedly set the pace for progress towards a more open system for the generation of new knowledge through research,” says Professor Jean-Pierre Finance, council member and chair of the expert group.
The roadmap’s publication comes after EU research ministers last week assembled in an informal meeting in Amsterdam with European Commissioner Carlos Moedas to discuss research issues, including Open Access.
You can read the roadmap in full here.
