Where Open Access Publishing is coming from and where it's going to.

 

The SOAP (Study of Open Access Publishing) project 

 

Outlining and analysing the world of open access publishing – from what publishers offer to what researchers want – SOAP was a two year project, which ended in 2011, coordinated by the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) in partnership with libraries (The Max Planck Digital Library), funding agencies (UK Science and Technologies Council), and major open access publishers (Sage, Springer, BioMed Central).

An invaluable undertaking, SOAP described and analysed open access publishing by comparing and contrasting business models for a better understanding of the marketplace as well as the opportunities and risks associated with open access publishing. It also conducted a large scale survey that investigated the European Research Area (ERA) scholars’ requirements for scientific publishing.

Delivered in three main phases, SOAP provided a fact based impartial platform for public debate on Open Access publishing and the sustainable future of scholarly communication. The three phases consisted of:

I. Examining existing ‘fully’ Open Access publishing and corresponding business models including hybrid;

II. Assessing international demand for Open Access publishing across disciplines;

III. Comparison of offer, supply and demand with further analysis of the opportunities and results.

The SOAP repository provides a useful overview of the developments and debates which informed this study and provides a fascinating qualitative and quantitative insight into attitudes, desires and practices surrounding the drivers and barriers in the transition towards Open Access.