Japan's push to make all research open access (nature.com)

Article summary

The Japanese government is implementing a plan to make all publicly funded research output free to read, with the science ministry assigning funding to universities to build the necessary infrastructure. Researchers who receive government funding will be required to make their papers freely available to read on institutional repositories from April 2025. This move follows the introduction of Plan S, an open-access initiative by a group of research funders in the US and Europe. The plan aims to accelerate the move to open-access publishing.

Main themes

• Open access research
• Public funding
• Scientific publishing
• Research infrastructure
• Government policy
• Academic collaboration

What commenters say

• The concept of proprietary knowledge for profit is a hindrance to human advancement, and open collaboration can lead to faster progress.
• The lack of profit motive will stifle innovation and advancement, as companies will not invest in research and development without potential financial gains.
• Open-source initiatives and collaborations can drive advancement without relying on profit, and examples like open-source software demonstrate this.
• The success of open-access policies depends on enforcement and consequences for non-compliance, as well as the willingness of researchers to share their data and findings.
• The cost of hosting and maintaining open-access publications is a concern, but it can be mitigated by government funding or private investment.
• Private companies should play a role in funding research and development, particularly in countries where government funding is limited.
• The benefits of open access outweigh the potential drawbacks, and it can lead to increased collaboration and advancement in various fields.
• The enforcement of open-access policies can be challenging, and the quality of open-access research may not be on par with commercially funded research.