In 2012 the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science and Research made funding available to help launch
brand new open access journals in the humanities and social sciences (HSS), or
to convert existing journals from the traditional subscription model to open
access. Media owners in Austria were invited to submit expressions of interest.
36 expressions of interest were received, 19 were invited to submit a full
proposal, and eight have now been approved.
brand new open access journals in the humanities and social sciences (HSS), or
to convert existing journals from the traditional subscription model to open
access. Media owners in Austria were invited to submit expressions of interest.
36 expressions of interest were received, 19 were invited to submit a full
proposal, and eight have now been approved.
Not only does FWF, Austria’s central funding organisation
for basic research, have one of the most comprehensive open access policies
around, but it is backed up with programmes like this one to help the
transformation. Aside from being a Europe PMC Funder (of course), they also
helped set up Open Access Network Austria in 2013
to coordinate open access policies and activities of Austrian research
institutions and funding organisations, and created a repository for
research outputs which take the form of books, https://e-book.fwf.ac.at/.
for basic research, have one of the most comprehensive open access policies
around, but it is backed up with programmes like this one to help the
transformation. Aside from being a Europe PMC Funder (of course), they also
helped set up Open Access Network Austria in 2013
to coordinate open access policies and activities of Austrian research
institutions and funding organisations, and created a repository for
research outputs which take the form of books, https://e-book.fwf.ac.at/.
 |
| Image credit: SidPix, Flickr |
For this particular programme, a stringent review process was
needed to whittle down the 36 expressions of interest to the final selection
which will receive initial funding of up to €50,000 or €100,000. The reviews
focused on things like quality assurance, the logistics of open access and
innovation. Falk Reckling, FWF’s Head of Strategic Analysis said:
The FWF
regards that programme as a success. However,
a programme like this run by a
single country has just a minor effect on the publication system as such.
Therefore, science funders (at least on the European level) should
launch similar programmes on the international level together, especially by
funding the transition of some
outstanding subscription journals from all disciplinary fields. Otherwise, as
the former FWF President Christoph Kratky recently stated in NATURE, the open access movement is in danger of losing momentum: “Even
the most optimistic advocates of open access to academic publications must admit
that we are years — and perhaps decades — away from full conversion to such a
system. It is easy to call for open access, but more difficult to make it
happen. More science funders must put their money where their mouths are, and
back their positive words with action. It will not be cheap, but the longer we
wait, the more expensive it will be.”
regards that programme as a success. However,
a programme like this run by a
single country has just a minor effect on the publication system as such.
Therefore, science funders (at least on the European level) should
launch similar programmes on the international level together, especially by
funding the transition of some
outstanding subscription journals from all disciplinary fields. Otherwise, as
the former FWF President Christoph Kratky recently stated in NATURE, the open access movement is in danger of losing momentum: “Even
the most optimistic advocates of open access to academic publications must admit
that we are years — and perhaps decades — away from full conversion to such a
system. It is easy to call for open access, but more difficult to make it
happen. More science funders must put their money where their mouths are, and
back their positive words with action. It will not be cheap, but the longer we
wait, the more expensive it will be.”
Further details of the review process and a list of the
selected journals can be found in the FWF report.
selected journals can be found in the FWF report.
