Countries are implementing policies and mandates that are spreading Open Access around the world. It is a movement that aims to make scientific research and data accessible to everyone.

What is open access?

Simply, open access refers to a publishing model for scholarly research that makes information immediately available to readers at no cost that is free to reuse for scholarly purposes.

There are a few different colour-coded types of open access:

• Gold: This refers to publishing in a fully open access scholarly journal. There tends to be an Article Processing Charge (APC) for authors submitting work, which will be explained below. The Directory of Open Access Journals features a list of gold open access journals.
• Green: This involves depositing research into a subject-based or institutional repository. This is also known as self-archiving.
• Diamond: Work published in this form is freely available to readers and has no APC.
• Hybrid: Some traditional subscription-based journals offer authors the option to publish their submitted work in an open access form for a fee.

What are the goals of Open Access?

Simply put, some of the goals of Open Access are:

• Availability and reusability of scientific research for the public;
• Accessibility and transparency of scientific communication;
• Facilitating scientific collaboration;
• Transparency for the methodology, observation, and collection of data.

Additionally, spreading Open Access around the world helps to boost the capabilities of interdisciplinary scientific research. This is key for tackling the most pressing global issues like climate change. By eliminating the barriers to accessing and producing research, Open Access is helping to ensure that scientific research can reach its potential.

What are Open Access policies and mandates?

Open Access policies or mandates are rules or requirements set by governments, funding agencies, or institutions that require work be published in an Open Access format to varying degrees.

How strict the requirements are can vary, with some suggesting and supporting OA publication and others requiring that all publications be published in a specific repository or journal. Also, different requirements will have their own ways of achieving Open Access, whether that be via green, gold, diamond, or a mixture of all.

Furthermore, Open Access policies tend to be related to a government’s aims, whether that be to expand its research output or find ways to boost development and innovation.

Open Access policies in countries around the world

How is Open Access around the world handled? Let’s take a look.

Brazil

There is no formal open science policy or long-term strategy in Brazil. However, Brazil has many initiatives led by public research and education institutions promoting Open Access. After a decade of funding cuts and uncertainty, the government is beginning to refocus on science and education, which will likely lead to the further development of Open Access in Brazil and across Latin America.

Canada

Canada is expanding its Open Access policy. Between 2008 and 2015, the Canadian government was expanding its Open Access requirements extensively, but this slowed down. The 2020 Roadmap does, however, seem to reflect a renewed interest in OA policy, likely motivated by the pandemic. The 2020 Roadmap aims to achieve Open Access in Canada by default without an embargo period for federally funded scientific and research outputs. Similarly, Canada’s main funding agencies, which currently have a 12-month embargo period, will require embargo-free Open Access publication by the end of 2025, reflecting the USA’s timeframe. Open Access is a key focus for the Canadian government presently.

China

Open Access in China continues to grow at a rapid pace. This growth can be attributed to the State’s commitment to research and development and policy “requiring the promotion of open science”. Current laws outline the need for consistency and cooperation across research. Accordingly, the State will be establishing consistent policies across government agencies, especially those related to Open Access, as it pursues “self-reliance”.

European Union

A key part of the EU’s research and innovation strategy revolves around Open Access. Horizon Europe and Plan S are the main components of Open Access in the EU. Firstly, Horizon Europe is a funding programme that aims to encourage collaboration whilst tackling global challenges. Open Access is mandatory for all researchers who receive funding. Plan S, on the other hand, helps to streamline Open Access policy by providing ten guiding principles around copyright, transparency, and criteria, among other things. In 2021, it mandated that all funded research be made Open Access.

Japan

Japan is expanding its Open Access policy. Since 2013, Open Access has been regularly discussed at a policy level, especially in relation to innovation. But policies have been less restrictive and slower than in other countries, like the USA. However, by 2025, it will be required that articles resulting from nationally funded research in Japan must be made Open Access immediately on publication. Open Access also links to other Japanese initiatives, like boosting its international influence in science and technology research. Therefore, it’s likely that Japan will further solidify and develop its Open Access infrastructure, particularly around data, and use this to meet its aims of boosting its global research presence.

Spain

Spain, as part of Plan S, aims to support Plan S in the movement towards a research model based on Open Access results and data. In 2023, the Spanish government approved its first national open science strategy. This four-year plan has a €23.8 million annual budget. Its aims include establishing infrastructure and proper management, and ensuring that Open Access in Spain is made the default for publicly funded scientific publications.

United Kingdom

In 2022, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) implemented a single Open Access policy across all its research councils. This required peer-reviewed articles to immediately be made Open Access. Generally, UKRI aligns with Plan S. However, UKRI is ahead of Plan S in that it will require all monographs, book chapters, and edited collections from 1 January 2024 to be made Open Access within 12 months. Furthermore, in 2023, a new deal for the UK to rejoin Horizon Europe was established, enabling UK scientists to have access to the world’s largest research collaboration programme. This all links with the current UK government’s goal to ‘Build Back Better’, which includes becoming a science and tech superpower by 2030. Maintaining the culture of Open Access in the UK is central to this, as its leading funding agencies continue to deepen requirements for Open Access.

United States of America

Since 2011, the percentage of articles written in subscription-only journals has declined in the USA. Open Access in the USA has continued to grow. This growth skyrocketed with the USA government mandating that all US-funded research must be made Open Access by the end of 2025. This reflects the country’s aims to accelerate scientific discovery and also lower the barriers of access for all.