3 September 2024
Open Access Australasia welcomes the public release of the Chief Scientist’s Advice to government on open access models for Australia. In particular, we welcome the Addendum to the Advice referencing rights retention strategies, diamond open access initiatives and investing in repository infrastructure. As the comprehensive advice was submitted over a year ago, we applaud the Chief Scientist’s referencing these three approaches which have come to greater prominence since the original research and consultation was undertaken.
Regarding the recommendation to develop and implement a strategy to maximise access to academic journals for the Australian community, Open Access Australasia supports this bold initiative while hopeful there is scope to address the above three approaches in the overall strategy, given the importance of bibliodiversity and author autonomy when it comes to publishing venues.
We also welcome the Chief Scientist’s recommendation that the government undertake further analysis to develop the preferred model and appreciate the invitation to participate in further discussions to inform the development of policy, underpinning principles and implementation approaches. Implementation in particular will require significant analysis and planning to ensure a successful and timely transition to the preferred model.
