MANY scientists have championed the idea that publicly-funded research should be openly available to all, not locked away in pricey journals. This “open access” ethos has made significant gains over the years. Yet most journal articles are still accessible only to those able to pay the hefty subscription—to the detriment of the diffusion of knowledge in society.
That may now change. On September 4th science agencies from 11 European countries—including Britain, France and the Netherlands—signed up to “Plan S”. This radical initiative requires the scientists they fund to publish their work in open-access journals or freely-accessible websites by 2020. Strikingly, the plan bars scientists from publishing in what is today around 85% of periodicals, including some of the most venerable, such as Nature and Science.
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