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2 years ago in Open Access Movement By Komal

What is Plan S and how does it affect researchers?

I keep hearing about "Plan S" from my European collaborators. What are its main requirements, and do I need to comply if I'm a researcher in the US or India receiving funding from a Plan S signatory?

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By Saurabh Answered 1 year ago

Plan S is a radical mandate from cOAlition S, a group of major national and European funders (like ERC, UKRI, Wellcome). If you receive grant money from any signatory, you must comply, regardless of your country of residence. Its core principles: 1) Publications must be immediately open access upon publication (no embargoes). 2) Must use an open license, preferably CC BY. 3) You can comply via Gold OA in a compliant journal/platform, or Green OA by depositing the accepted manuscript in a repository with zero embargo. Hybrid journals are only compliant if covered by a Transformative Agreement. Plan S is reshaping publisher practices. If you have such funding, check your funder's specific guidelines and your institution's support for APCs. It's a powerful force accelerating the OA transition.

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