7 Conclusion
92. The Government's committed and pro-active
stance to increasing access to published research findings is
admirable, as is its desire to achieve full open access. Gold
open access, at scale, is a desirable ultimate goal, and we acknowledge
that the recommendations of the Finch Report, and the Government
and RCUK's open access policies were formulated with this end
in mind.
93. However, almost without exception, our evidence
has pointed to gaps in both the qualitative and quantitative evidence
underpinning the Finch Report's conclusions and recommendations,
most significantly a failure to examine the UK's Green mandates
and their efficacy. This has been replicated in the formulation
of the Government and RCUK's open access policies and their mistaken
focus on the Gold solution as the primary route to achieving open
access at scale in the UK. The major mechanism of transition must
be Green open access, specifically through strong immediate self-archiving
mandates set by funders and institutions, either as a funding
condition or tied to research assessment as appropriate.
94. Given the emphasis the Government has placed
on the benefits of open access, the Government should seek a derogation
in relation to VAT on e-journals as a matter of urgency.
95. The Minister for Universities and Science
and members of the Finch working group are due to meet in September
2013 to assess impact and progress of open access policy. RCUK
has said it intends to review its policy in 2014, to assess how
developments compare to their expectations, and to meet annually
after that. As part of those reviews, both Government and RCUK
must fully consider and address the conclusions and recommendations
set out in this Report.
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