OSTP Provides Update on Estimated Open Access Publishing Costs

In June, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released an update to a November 2023 Report to Congress on Financing Mechanisms for Open Access Publishing of Federally Funded Research (see previous COSSA coverage). The report responds to a directive included in the final fiscal year (FY) 2024 appropriations bill requiring OSTP to provide additional information with respect to financing mechanisms for open access publishing of federally funded research, as well as potential impacts of federal public access policies on peer review and research integrity.

OSTP provided initial cost estimates to Congress in 2022 and late 2023. This latest report provides: additional information on steps taken by federal agencies to prepare for implementation of the 2022 directive to make federally-supported peer-reviewed research findings publicly available starting December 31, 2025; trends in scholarly publishing, including information on existing business models for public access; additional analysis of estimated article publishing charges, including identification of barriers to ascertaining better estimates; and discussion about research integrity and peer review within the open science context.

COSSA has been reporting on the development of public access plans at federal science agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH). Final agency policies are to be made publicly available by December 31, 2024, with implementation set for December 31, 2025.

Stay tuned to COSSA’s continued coverage on open access.