The Association of European University Presses welcomes the growing support for Open Science and Open Access publishing in Europe and around the world. While we are aware that the switch to Open Access cannot be made overnight, and that it is not easy for some members to secure a sustainable business model, we are convinced that Open Science is the right way forward, not only in terms of the wise use of public funds, but also in the context of inclusion and diversity, and not least as a response to the intensive development of artificial intelligence and the associated transformation of society.
The recent EU Council’s Conclusions on scholarly publishing which, among other things, calls for support for the development of publishing models led by public research organisations, only goes to show that university presses can play an important role in the development of Open Science.
Although not all of the AEUP members are Open Access publishers yet, all of them are at different stages between the sale of print books as their main source of funding and the sustainable operation of an Open Access only mode.
The presentation will focus on the transition to Open Access publishing, its pitfalls and the possible light at the end of the tunnel. It begins with an overview of AEUP’s position regarding Open Access and a description of how Open Access is currently being implemented among the members. Some have their own system, others use third party services and others are in the process of deciding what is best for them. We will then try to summarise the most common obstacles that publishers face on the path to Open Access and provide some inspiring examples of good practice that we have collected from our members. If you want to join us on the path, the AEUP is always open to new members.