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We are in the midst not only of a rapid evolution of digital tools, services, and concepts but importantly also of corresponding strategic moves by key stakeholders in the global realm of Open Scholarship. In order to provide an equitable environment for all stakeholders and prevent vendor lock-in for the most demanded tools and services, we deem it necessary to highlight the most immediately important aspects of the full strategy. We consider these aspects necessary for the equitable, efficient and cost-effective implementation of an Open Scholarship system (i.e., the scholarly commons).
In short: Subscription revenue is helping to maintain the status quo, raises antitrust concerns due to the acquisition of modern tools and services by monopolistic stakeholders and drains public institutions of funds needed to modernize their digital infrastructure towards a scholarly commons. This document seeks to provide a comprehensive and strategic solution to this problem.
Over the last two decades, the profits of oligopolistic publishers have repeatedly been invested in lobbying efforts, public relations campaigns and other obstructionist strategies seeking to delay the modernization of scholarly communication. At the same time, these profits also precipitated the acquisition of valuable services and tools by these publishers, raising serious antitrust concerns above and beyond those already prominent in academic publishing. Finally, in times where public institutions are facing ever more drastic constraints on their budgets, the funds lost in subscriptions are missing elsewhere and severely hamper any efforts to modernize existing infrastructures.
In order to free funds for the implementation of a scholarly commons and to nip in the bud attempts of yet another lock-in of research by yet another business plan that only pays lip service to the guiding values, principles and practices of Open Science and Scholarship, we propose the following immediate and strategic action points:
Individual level
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Contact libraries and express support for the redirection of subscription funds towards open infrastructures/services.
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Demand support for open and modern text, data and code infrastructures from your superiors and institutions.
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Contribute towards developing open standards for the scholarly commons.
Group Level (e.g., labs, departments)
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Demand support for open and modern text, data and code infrastructures from your institutions.
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Suggest your institution start permanently supporting shared infrastructure/resources currently on project funding.
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Contribute towards developing open standards for the scholarly commons.
Institute Level (including research and funding bodies, and professional societies)
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Do not renew current subscription contracts.
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Funding agencies require the implementation of open infrastructures with open standards before considering funding applications.
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Contribute towards developing open standards for the scholarly commons.
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Coordinate the development of open standards for the scholarly commons.
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Encourage the use of the scholarly commons by investing exclusively in open infrastructures with open standards and discourage the use of closed infrastructures by divesting from them.
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Permanently support shared infrastructure/resources currently on project funding and contact other institutions to either do the same or share the support with you.
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Implement a transparent governance structure for the scholarly commons.
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Encourage and promote fair research assessment policies and processes.
National Level (or higher)
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Coordinate the development of open standards for the scholarly commons.
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Implement a transparent governance structure for the scholarly commons.
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Require the implementation of open infrastructures with open standards from your institutions.
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Encourage the use of the scholarly commons by investing exclusively in open infrastructures with open standards and discourage the use of closed infrastructures by divesting from them.
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Encourage and promote fair research assessment policies and processes.
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Permanently support shared infrastructure/resources currently on project funding