03/07/2024
cOAlition S is pleased to welcome the release of a comprehensive report detailing the findings of a global consultation with the research community on the “Towards Responsible Publishing” (TRP) proposal. The TRP proposal prepared by cOAlition S presents a vision for a fit for purpose future scholarly communication system, and a mission that enables research funders to deliver on this in collaboration with other key stakeholders.
The extensive consultation, carried out by Research Consulting and Leiden University’s Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS), engaged over 11,600 respondents from the research community worldwide, providing a wealth of insights and perspectives. Running from November 2023 to May 2024, the consultation solicited diverse opinions from researchers and other key stakeholders, including research performing organisations, scholarly societies, publishers and providers of communication infrastructure, via online surveys, focus groups, and feedback letters.
Some of the consultation findings highlighted in the report indicate broad support for TRP principles related to the posting of preprints, open peer review, and open licensing – practices which our members may wish to drive further through supportive policies. Additionally, the findings underscore the need for global collaboration to change recognition and reward mechanisms, especially between research funders, research performing organisations and universities, so that this wider set of research outputs is included. There is also an expressed desire to shift spending within the scholarly communication system towards more responsible practices.
The complete report, along with the accompanying data sets, is accessible to the public via Zenodo at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11243942. We are very appreciative of the thoughtful feedback provided by all participants, which will enrich our understanding and will play a crucial role in shaping our future strategy. Over the coming weeks, the cOAlition S funders will undertake a thorough review of the report and publish a response by the end of 2024. We thank Research Consulting and CWTS for their outstanding work in facilitating the consultation process and ensuring the report’s accuracy and thoroughness.