Strategy for open-access books needed to avoid ‘fragmentation’

Universities risk slow and fragmented progress on securing open access for academic books unless a proper national strategy is developed, a new report has warned.

The study, commissioned by the British Academy, said that although open access is now common for journals, less is known about how long-form content is being deposited and used.

This is despite the fact that long-form scholarly works “remain a cornerstone of knowledge production and dissemination”, the report by consultancy firm Information Power says. 

It found growing use of longer material in open-access repositories, with access to book chapters rising from just over 2 million uses in 2020 to more than 3.5 million in 2024.

In one of the first comprehensive analyses of long-form open-access materials, the report found that “green” open access, where authors make a version of the text free to read, usually by uploading their manuscript to an institutional or subject specific repository, is “contested and not yet mature in practice”.

It warned that most universities do not yet have a dedicated strategy for books, instead adapting policies designed for journal articles.

The report comes after long-form outputs were dropped from open access requirements for the 2029 Research Excellence Framework following a huge backlash over the costs it would have imposed on arts, humanities and social science departments.

One university questioned in the report estimated it would need an additional £2 million to £3 million per year to make all monographs open access.

Funding concerns more broadly were mentioned by most respondents – often related to “an unresolved tension between aspiration and means”.

Researchers were found to be cautious around its use, with many seeing green open access as a “last resort” option rather than a valued dissemination route, particularly those in arts and humanities disciplines.

Academics also raised concerns about the visibility of their work. “Institutional repository contents are not very discoverable via a Google search,” one participant said.

The report warned that pushing too quickly towards green open access could undermine existing publishing models.

“It may be the only affordable route, and it might be what ends up happening, but it’s not what people would choose if given other viable options,” said one respondent.

The report concluded that a co-ordinated, evidence-based roadmap is essential, with a joined-up approach across authors, publishers and libraries.

“There is evident support for openness in principle, but without a national strategic framework and cross-sector coordination progress will remain slow and fragmented.”

Lindsay Farmer, publishing lead for the British Academy, said the work needs to start now if the target of including long-form publications in the next REF cycle is to be achieved.

“We want the institutions, publishers, policy makers, academic, libraries, funders and everyone else involved in meeting this long-term ambition to work together on a plan.

“This means a national strategy for long-form OA, a conversation about funding challenges and solutions, and a clear approach to make sure no academics are left behind because of these changes.”

patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com