At the crossroads of open access to research

The report examines Plan S, an initiative by European research funders to ensure immediate open access to publicly funded research by January 1, 2020. The authors argue that by primarily permitting Gold Open Access (Gold OA) journals, the plan may exclude researchers from 86% of all academic journals and 97% of leading journals. The analysis suggests that the author-pays model via Article Processing Charges (APCs) may not cover the actual costs of high-quality publishing, potentially leading to a decline in research quality, the rise of predatory journals, and increased inequalities for researchers in low-income countries or those in early career stages. Furthermore, the report highlights risks to academic freedom, international cooperation, and the reliability of research evaluations, as the loss of established journal hierarchies may introduce subjective biases in hiring and promotion.

• Plan S significantly restricts publishing options, as it effectively excludes researchers from the vast majority of academic journals and almost all of the most prominent ones.
• The plan's reliance on Gold Open Access means that a large majority of currently available open-access articles would not meet its requirements.
• There is a high probability that the proposed cap on Article Processing Charges (APCs) will be insufficient to cover the actual operational costs of maintaining high-quality journals.
• The transition to an author-pays model may create systemic inequalities, making it harder for researchers from low- and middle-income countries, as well as early-career and independent researchers, to publish.
• The shift toward mega-journals, which prioritize technical robustness over field significance, may undermine the collective knowledge development of specialized academic communities.
• The loss of established journal hierarchies may make the evaluation of research quality more costly, less reliable, and more susceptible to subjective biases, particularly affecting women and ethnic minorities.
• Plan S may negatively impact the internationalization of Norwegian research by weakening contact networks and making Norwegian researchers less competitive for international employment.
• The requirements of Plan S may conflict with principles of academic freedom and existing Norwegian law regarding the right of researchers to freely publish their work.
• Data suggests that articles in Gold OA journals are cited less frequently than those behind paywalls, contradicting the assumption that this specific model maximizes research impact.

APA

Carling, J., Bivand, M., Harstad, E. B., Knutsen, C. H., Lappegård, T., Skardhamar, T., & Østby, G. (2018). At the crossroads of open access to research. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/1bf67c7d-2a92-43b4-be2f-53024767bb1e/Carling%20et%20al%202018%20-%20At%20the%20crossroads%20of%20open%20access%20to%20research.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Carling, Jørgen, Marta Bivand, Erdal Bård Harstad, Carl Henrik Knutsen, Trude Lappegård, Torbjørn Skardhamar, and Gudrun Østby. At the crossroads of open access to research. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2018. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/1bf67c7d-2a92-43b4-be2f-53024767bb1e/Carling%20et%20al%202018%20-%20At%20the%20crossroads%20of%20open%20access%20to%20research.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Carling |first1=Jørgen |last2=Bivand |first2=Marta |last3=Harstad |first3=Erdal Bård |last4=Knutsen |first4=Carl Henrik |last5=Lappegård |first5=Trude |last6=Skardhamar |first6=Torbjørn |last7=Østby |first7=Gudrun |title=At the crossroads of open access to research |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=November 2018 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/1bf67c7d-2a92-43b4-be2f-53024767bb1e/Carling%20et%20al%202018%20-%20At%20the%20crossroads%20of%20open%20access%20to%20research.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{carling2018crossroads, author = {Carling, Jørgen and Bivand, Marta and Harstad, Erdal Bård and Knutsen, Carl Henrik and Lappegård, Trude and Skardhamar, Torbjørn and Østby, Gudrun}, title = {{At the crossroads of open access to research}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2018}, month = nov, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/1bf67c7d-2a92-43b4-be2f-53024767bb1e/Carling%20et%20al%202018%20-%20At%20the%20crossroads%20of%20open%20access%20to%20research.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }