Libraries want more detail on costs of Plan S

International groups of research libraries concerned about implications of radical open-access initiative

Research library groups around the world have reiterated their support for Plan S but say funders backing the much-debated open-access initiative must do more to clarify its costs.

Participating funders will require the researchers they support to make any resulting papers openly available immediately from 2021. This will involve moving from a system where readers pay subscription fees to access papers to one where authors or funders pay to publish them, potentially shifting the costs onto research-intensive countries and organisations.