Initiative to help book publishers towards open access

Book publishers are to be supported through a new intiative as they strive towards sustainable open access models. 

UKRI, in partnership with the Association of Learned Society Publishers (ALPSP), the British Academy, and the Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA), has commissioned the project from Information Power, which will have a particular focus on learned society, subject association, and smaller specialist publishers.

The overall objective of this project is to develop advice, options, and a toolkit for learned society, subject associations, and smaller specialist publishers to help them explore and embrace open access for academic book publishing. The project deliverables will include a report and a practical toolkit. Over the course of 2024 the project team will engage with a wide range of stakeholders including publishers, libraries, funders, researchers, and supply chain partners.

Smaller publishers face challenges of scale whenever transitioning to open access, but the challenges facing book publishers extend well beyond this. Challenges can include business models, copyright, global markets, list building, payments and pricing, print, retrospective conversion, supply chain transformation, and more. 

The project will engage widely with stakeholders through interviews, focus groups, workshops, and surveys. To get involved, email info@informationpower.co.uk