Brussels, Belgium · 4 September 2018 — A consortium of European national research agencies and funders, with the support of the European Commission and the European Research Council (ERC), launched Plan S, an initiative designed to accelerate the transition to full and immediate open access to scientific publications. The plan mandates that from 2020 onward, all scholarly publications resulting from research grants funded by participating organisations must be published in compliant open-access journals or made freely available through open-access repositories, with no embargo periods permitted.
The initiative was developed under the leadership of Robert-Jan Smits, then the European Commission's Open Access Envoy, and Marc Schiltz, President of Science Europe. The "S" in Plan S has been interpreted as standing for "Science," "Speed," "Solution," and "Shock" — reflecting the founders' intent to trigger a decisive shift away from traditional subscription-based publishing models that have dominated academic communication for decades.
The Ten Core Principles
Plan S is structured around ten fundamental principles that collectively redefine the relationship between research funders, researchers, and publishers:
- Immediate Access: Authors must make their publications immediately accessible without any embargo period, eliminating the common practice of publishers restricting access for 6 to 12 months after publication.
- Open Licensing: Publications must be released under an open licence, typically Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY), allowing unrestricted reuse, sharing, and adaptation.
- Copyright Retention: Authors or their institutions must retain copyright of their publications rather than transferring rights to publishers.
- Compliant Venues: Research must be published in open-access journals, on open-access platforms, or deposited in open-access repositories that meet Plan S compliance criteria.
- Funder Support: cOAlition S funders committed to supporting publication fees where necessary, but moved to stop funding "hybrid" open-access models — where individual articles are made open in otherwise subscription-based journals.
The Publishing Industry Responds
The announcement of Plan S generated significant debate within the academic publishing ecosystem. Major publishers, whose business models rely heavily on subscription revenues, expressed concern about the feasibility and timeline of the mandate. The Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP) and the International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers (STM) engaged in extensive consultation with cOAlition S throughout late 2018 and 2019.
Researchers themselves were divided. Many welcomed the principle of open access, noting that publicly funded research should be freely available to the public and to researchers in low- and middle-income countries who cannot afford subscription fees. Others raised concerns about the article processing charges (APCs) that open-access journals typically charge, which can range from $2,000 to $5,000 per article, potentially creating barriers for researchers without institutional support.
Global Implications and African Research
The implications of Plan S extended well beyond Europe. Several major international funders subsequently joined cOAlition S, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). For researchers in Africa and other regions who collaborate with European partners or receive funding from participating organisations, Plan S compliance became a practical consideration in publication strategy.
The initiative also resonated with broader open science efforts on the African continent. The African Open Science Platform, launched in 2016 under the auspices of the South African National Research Foundation and the African Academy of Sciences, had already been advocating for open data, open publications, and open collaboration as mechanisms to strengthen African research capacity and visibility.
Timeline and Implementation
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 4 September 2018 | Plan S officially launched by cOAlition S |
| November 2018 | Public consultation on Plan S implementation guidance begins |
| 2019 | Additional international funders join cOAlition S |
| 31 August 2019 | Implementation guidance ("Plan S Guidance on the Implementation of Plan S") published |
| 1 January 2021 | Plan S requirements take effect for cOAlition S-funded research |
Structural Challenges Ahead
The launch of Plan S in 2018 highlighted several structural challenges that the open science movement would need to address. First, the question of equity remained central: while open access removes barriers for readers, the shift to author-pays models could create new barriers for researchers without access to publication funds. Second, the transition period required careful management to avoid disrupting established publishing workflows and peer review systems. Third, the diversity of disciplinary publishing cultures — from fast-moving life sciences to humanities monographs — meant that a one-size-fits-all approach would require adaptation.
Despite these challenges, Plan S marked a turning point in the global conversation about who should control access to publicly funded knowledge. By coordinating the requirements of a large group of influential funders, cOAlition S significantly increased pressure on the academic publishing industry to reform its business models and prioritise open, immediate dissemination of research findings.
Sources:
- cOAlition S, "Plan S and cOAlition S Initiative," coalition-s.org
- European Commission, "Open Access Envoy Robert-Jan Smits launches Plan S," September 2018
- Science Europe, "Plan S: Making full and immediate Open Access a reality," September 2018
- Wellcome Trust, "Wellcome joins cOAlition S in support of Plan S," 2018
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, "Gates Foundation joins Plan S open-access initiative," 2018
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Institutional Research Desk · Foresight Institute of Research and Translation
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