100% open-access publication by 2020: that ambition is stated by the National Plan Open Science and the goal to which the VSNU has committed its efforts. The VSNU E-zine on open access published today includes the plans made by the universities in order to achieve this goal. 

Pieter Duisenberg, President of the VSNU: 'It is vital that even more publicly funded research is made available via open access. It is vital to scientists around the globe as it allows them to see and use each other's results much sooner. It is vital to the business sector as it boosts innovation. And it is vital to anyone interested in hearing the latest developments in science, such as teachers, hospital patients or engineers.'

In the third E-zine on open access, the following five pillars aimed at ensuring 100% open access by 2020 were presented.
1. Negotiations with publishers 
The VSNU continues its negotiations with the large publishing houses. The universities want the reading contracts to be made fully open access for no extra cost.

2. International collaboration
Open access must remain high on the political agenda and open science must be given political priority during the Dutch Presidency of the European Union. Universities need a European lobby in order to exert political pressure on publishers and to keep each other informed. 

3. Archiving 
In the coming period, the VSNU will continue consultation with its partners to emphasise further the importance of retaining copyright rather than transferring it exclusively to publishers. 

4. Monitoring
In collaboration with its partners, the VSNU will initiate an exploratory study into alternative methods of monitoring open-access publications, although the ambition remains to allow all parties to register and monitor open access by means of a simple method.

5. Alternative publication platforms
For the 2018-2020 period, the universities' negotiating position must be strengthened by reducing their dependence on established publishers. An open infrastructure for open access appears to offer a suitable solution in this regard. 
 

Picture: VSNU president Pieter Duisenberg presented the first copy to Minister of Education, Culture and Science Ingrid van Engelshoven.