ALPSP welcomes the findings of the Finch Report

ALPSP welcomes the findings of the cross-stakeholder group lead by Dame Janet Finch, as providing a balanced view of the scholarly communications landscape and laying the foundations for an orderly transition to appropriately-funded open access publishing, not just in the UK but across the world.

The measures which have been recommended recognise, and suggest solutions to, the differing requirements of the stakeholders involved.  One solution is unlikely to meet all needs and therefore a mixed landscape for access lies ahead.  Each of the mechanisms of access described, open access publishing, licensing, and respositories, have their place in answering specific objectives and publishers will continue to explore sustainable ways to further increase access to publications arising from scholarly research.

ALPSP was particularly pleased to see clear recognition of the publishing undertaken by Learned Societies and other non-profit organisations, and the importance of publishing revenues in funding their core activities.  We do, however, remain concerned about the effect of short timeframe mandates and would welcome commitment from research funders to follow the recommendations in the report not to require embargo periods shorter than 12 months where funding is not provided to meet APCs for open access publishing.  We also welcome further investigation into open access publication in the social sciences where funding structures are quite different to that found in STM.

ALPSP and its members continue to offer collaboration with all interested parties to establish sustainable effective solutions to the changing requirements of access to, and re-use of, published materials from scholarly research.

Audrey McCulloch
Chief Executive
19 June 2012

Report of the Finch Group