Two decades of Open Access Campaigns: A Retrospective Analysis

Jenice Jean Goveas; Lizzie Sayer; Megha Sud

doi:10.7557/5.6641

Authors

Jenice Jean Goveas International Science Council https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8991-4041
Lizzie Sayer International Science Council
Megha Sud International Science Council https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4803-9265

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7557/5.6641

Keywords:

Open Access, campaigns, BOAI, Open Science

Abstract

At the start of this century, the Open Access movement gained momentum, largely fuelled by the Budapest (2002), Berlin (2003), and Bethesda (2003) declarations. The past two decades further witnessed several advocacy campaigns that challenged excessive profiteering through scientific publication, and advocated for revolutionising the scholarly publication system. Several attempts have been made to raise a voice for researchers’ rights that have been swallowed by the commercial publishing model. This study aims to give an overview of some major campaigns and organisations advocating for open access and analyses their efforts through the lens of their objectives, outcomes, opportunities, challenges and achievements. The assessment reveals some missing pieces that require careful consideration especially for current and future advocacy campaigns, as they are key building blocks of the Open Science movement. Such a mapping and understanding is crucial for sketching effective strategies needed to accelerate the progress towards achieving genuine and universal open access.

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Author Biographies

Jenice Jean Goveas, International Science Council

Jenice Jean Goveas works in the areas of Science Diplomacy, Emerging Technologies, Science Advice, Open Science and Science Communication. Jenice is a Senior Campaign Manager for the Future of Scientific Publishing project. As part of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India secretariat that is formulating India’s New Science Technology and Innovation Policy, she led many expert and public consultation activities. She has a Ph.D. in Nano Chemistry and served as an Assistant Professor in Chemistry for 9 years before transitioning to the field of science policy. She was the recipient of the International Network for Government Science Advice (INGSA) – Asia, grassroots Science Advice Promotion Awards 2021, and advocates for participatory science advice for policy-making.

Lizzie Sayer, International Science Council

Lizzie Sayer is Senior Communications Officer at the ISC. She joined the ISC from the International Social Science Council (ISSC), where she managed the publication of the 2016 World Social Science Report. Between 2013 and 2015 she worked in the interim Secretariat of Future Earth based at the International Council for Science (ICSU). She has a degree in languages, and first joined ICSU from a role in communications at the University of Oxford. She has also worked in events management and public policy research, with a focus on food and agricultural policy in the UK and Europe.

Megha Sud, International Science Council

Megha Sud joined ISC as Science Officer in 2019. She has previously worked as a policy analyst and programme officer at the OECD, the International Energy Agency and WWF. Her work has focussed on conducting interdisciplinary research and building networks to facilitate science-policy interface, with a particular interest in climate change, biodiversity and urban development. She holds a PhD in geography from the University of Cologne, an MA in development studies from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai and a BA in history from the University of Delhi.

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