US societies call for studies of scholarly publishing costs

AAAS and other groups warn of rise of inequalities from implementation of White House request

Sixteen US scientific societies and associations have called for studies of scholarly publishing costs, as the country’s largest biomedical research funder deliberates on how to respond to government requirements on open access to papers.

Last year, the White House asked federal research funders including the National Institutes of Health to ensure immediate open access to publications reporting work they have supported. Individual funders have leeway over the implementation, and the NIH recently sought input on its plan to comply.