Open access to scientific literature is a method of disseminating research articles in digital form, free of charge and in compliance with copyright law.
The open access movement began in the 1990s, thanks to the rise of the internet. It originated from a desire to provide free online access to scientific publications. It developed through the creation of open archives, founding texts, new forms of publication, and political incentives from governments and institutions.
- The Budapest Open Access Initiative, signed on February 14, 2002
This text introduces, for the first time, the concept of two strategies: self-archiving (an author freely publishes their own work online in "archives" created for this purpose by institutions) and journals that offer open access publishing.
- The Bethesda Statement on Open Access Publishing, signed on June 20, 2003
This statement defines two conditions that publications must meet in order to be considered open access: a free and irrevocable right to access, copy, use, distribute, and create derivative works; and deposit in an open archive that ensures free access, interoperability, and long-term preservation.
- The Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities, signed on October 22, 2003
The signatories call for open access to global scientific literature and all data and software used to produce this knowledge. It broadens the concept of open access to all works and data resulting from research, across all disciplines and cultural heritage.
- Launch of Plan S in January 2021. Developed by the cOAlition S, a group of research funding agencies committed to the development of open science, including the ANR (Agence Nationale de la Recherche), Plan S establishes the principle of free and immediate dissemination of publications funded by these agencies in journals, open access platforms, or open archives.
- The HR Excellence in Research (HRS4R) label, awarded by the European Commission, recognizes institutions that have signed the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, and is a prerequisite for obtaining European funding. The Charter for Researchers includes a section on "Ethics and good professional practices," which covers open science practices.
- Article 30 of the 2016 Digital Republic Act is part of the international movement for open access to scientific publications and the circulation of scientific knowledge. This law allows researchers to oppose publishers' rights to make their publications freely available, provided that they are the result of research activity financed at least half by public funds, subject to a 12-month embargo for the humanities and social sciences, and a 6-month embargo for science, technology, and medicine.
- Launched in 2018, the first National Plan for Open Science (2018-2021) goes further than the law for a digital Republic. It is built around three pillars: open access to publications, open data, and the integration of French action into a sustainable and international dynamic.
This first National Plan for Open Science has led to major advances: France has adopted a coherent and dynamic policy in the field of open science, and the rate of French scientific publications in open access has risen from 41% in 2017 to 56% in 2019.
The second national plan for open science was published in 2021 and continues to pursue its ambitions: to open up the entire research process, including publications, of course, but also data and source codes. This plan is organized around four areas: making open access to publications the norm; structuring, sharing, and opening up research data; opening up and promoting source codes produced by research; and transforming practices to make open science the default principle.