New Data From Plan S: “Transformative Journals: Analysis of Year 1 (2021)”

From a Plan S Post:

The Transformative Journal (TJ) model is one of the strategies cOAlition S endorses to help subscription publishers transition to full and immediate Open Access (OA). To be awarded TJ status, a title must publicly commit to transitioning to fully Open Access, and agree to: 

• work to increase the share of Open Access content, year on year, in line with publicly agreed targets; and 
• offset subscription income from payments for publishing services (to avoid double payments). 

As of June 2022, some 16 publishers – large and small, for-profit, not-for-profit, society publishers and university presses – totalling some 2304 journals, have enrolled in this programme.

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A key element of the TJ model is that designated journals must publish data showing the OA penetration rate and whether they have met their agreed targets.  Specifically, TJ titles are required to demonstrate an annual increase in the proportion of OA research content of at least 5% points in absolute terms and at least 15% in relative terms, year-on-year.   

Although analysis of Year 1 data shows that 44% of TJ titles met or exceeded their targets, some 56% of TJs did not meet their Year 1 targets.  This is perhaps understandable as the TJ model is new and may take some time to be fully established.   

In light of this, cOAlition S agreed that if a TJ did not meet its Year 1 (2021) OA target, then the title can remain in the programme, provided that the journal agrees that the Year 2 target is calculated as if the Year 1 target had been achieved.  Any title which misses their 2022 OA target will be removed from the programme. Figure 2 shows, by publisher, the number of TJs that met their year 1 growth target. 

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Filed under: Companies (Publishers/Vendors), Data Files, News, Open Access, Publishing