A significant initiative has emerged as part of the ongoing efforts to enhance the sustainability and inclusivity of Open Access (OA) publishing: the Futureproof OA Call to Commitment.

This call responds to the need for a more equitable and community-driven approach to academic publishing, moving away from for-profit models that often limit access and researcher sovereignty.

Why sign the petition?

By signing this petition, you support a future where scientific research is more accessible, inclusive, and equitable.

This shift is crucial for fostering a knowledge-creation system that strengthens our international reputation, financial sustainability, and institutional sovereignty.

Background

In recent years, transformative agreements, such as “read and publish” contracts, have been negotiated between universities and major publishers. While these agreements aim to increase open-access publishing, they often fail to transform the publishing landscape in favour of community values and equitable access.

The current Dutch strategy, heavily reliant on Article Processing Charges (APCs), has not adequately supported community-driven publishing initiatives.

The Call to Commitment

The Call to Commitment petition, born out of discussions at the Open Science Retreat organised by the Dutch Open Science Communities (OSCNL), including our own Open Science Community Maastricht (OSCM), in March 2024, urges institutions and national stakeholders to prioritise community values and Open Science principles when renegotiating these contracts.

The petition advocates redirecting investments from transformative agreements towards more inclusive and sustainable models, such as open-source institutional repositories, diamond platforms, preprint servers, and community-driven peer review innovations.

Impact and support

The petition has garnered significant support, with over 400 signatories from a broad range of institutions, including all 14 Dutch universities, all 7 Dutch university medical centres, 10 universities of applied sciences, and numerous other scientific and cultural institutions.

The list of signatories has been shared with key organisations involved in negotiating licenses with publishers, such as the UKB Consortium (the partnership of the Dutch University Libraries and the National Library of the Netherlands), SURF (the collaborative organisation for IT in Dutch education and research), and UNL (the Association of Universities in the Netherlands). This sharing aims to inspire negotiations towards more sustainable and equitable publishing models.

Take action

Join the growing list of signatories by adding your name to the Call to Commitment. Together, we can push for a publishing landscape that genuinely reflects the values of Open Science and benefits the entire research community.

Sign the petition here

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Further reading

Acknowledgements and sources