"Plan S" Falls Short For Society Publishers-And For The Researchers They Serve

Over the course of my long scientific career, I have had experience with academic publishing from several perspectives: as an author, as an associate editor of both academic and for-profit journals, as chair of a society’s journals board, as editor-in-chief of a major society journal ( Science ), and now as the chief executive of a membership organization (the National Academy of Sciences) that publishes a highly regarded society journal (PNAS). While for-profit publishers do bring value to the overall enterprise, ultimately I decided to direct my own research output (whenever it was my choice to make), time, and talent to nonprofit scientific society publishing. I see merit in redirecting publishing profits to enhance the welfare of the research community through the variety of society programs that support students, underrepresented minorities, community engagement, and other worthy causes—rather than having those monies benefit for-profit shareholders.The proposal known as Plan S has the admirable aim of achieving full OA across a wide swath of journal publications. But the path currently suggested has serious drawbacks that could jeopardize nonprofit science societies. Image credit: Dave Cutler (artist).In recent decades, society publishers have responded to a number of changes in the publishing landscape. In all cases, these responses have been guided by the wisdom of leading researchers serving on oversight boards charged with ensuring the overall health of the research enterprise. This charge is, of course, broader than simply the broadest dissemination of the research or necessarily the lowest-cost publication model. I continue to monitor that landscape, knowing that further changes are inevitable and part of scholarly publishing’s evolution as it aspires to serve science and society.Hence, I, like many in scientific society leadership and publishing, have been following with great interest the ambitious plan (“Plan S”) put forward in September by a group … [↵][1]1Email: MMcNutt{at}nas.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1