Here’s a detailed article about the COAR statement and the reactions from JPCOAR and JUSTICE, presented in an easy-to-understand manner, incorporating information from the provided link:
Pushback Against Repository Fees: JPCOAR and JUSTICE Join Global Call to Preserve Open Access
Tokyo, Japan – July 7, 2025 – A significant development in the landscape of academic research and its dissemination has emerged with the publication of a statement by the Confederation of Open Access Repositories (COAR) opposing new fee-based models for repository registration. In solidarity with this global initiative, Japan’s JPCOAR (Japan Consortium for Open Access Repository) and the JUSTICE (Japan Association for the Promotion of Scientific Knowledge) have publicly endorsed COAR’s stance, signaling a strong unified front against potential barriers to open access.
The article published on the Current Awareness Portal on July 7, 2025, titled “JPCOAR and JUSTICE endorse COAR’s statement opposing new fee system for repository registration,” highlights this crucial alignment.
What is COAR and Why is This Statement Important?
COAR is a leading international organization representing open access repositories worldwide. Repositories are digital archives where research outputs, such as scholarly articles, preprints, datasets, and theses, are preserved and made freely accessible to the public. Think of them as digital libraries for research.
COAR’s statement, to which JPCOAR and JUSTICE now lend their support, expresses serious concerns about recent proposals to introduce paid services or fees for the registration of repositories with indexing services or discovery platforms. These services are essential for making research discoverable and accessible to a wider audience.
The Core of the Objection: Protecting Openness and Equity
The fundamental principle of open access is to make research freely available to everyone, regardless of their institutional affiliation, geographic location, or financial resources. The introduction of fees for repository registration directly threatens this principle.
Here’s why this is a problem:
- Creating Barriers for Developing Nations and Smaller Institutions: Institutions in developing countries or smaller, less-funded universities might not be able to afford these new registration fees. This would effectively shut them out of the global research discovery ecosystem, creating an unequal playing field and hindering the dissemination of their valuable research.
- Undermining the Spirit of Open Access: The very essence of open access is about removing financial barriers. Charging for the basic act of making a repository discoverable is seen as a step backward, moving away from the ideals that have driven the open access movement.
- Potential for a Two-Tiered System: If only well-funded institutions can afford to register their repositories, it could lead to a tiered system where research from certain regions or institutions is less visible, impacting global knowledge sharing and collaboration.
- Sustainability of the Open Access Infrastructure: While COAR and its supporters recognize the need for sustainable infrastructure, they believe that charging for basic repository registration is not the right approach. Alternative, equitable funding models should be explored.
JPCOAR and JUSTICE: Standing with Global Efforts
JPCOAR, as the Japanese chapter of COAR, and JUSTICE, a prominent organization advocating for scientific knowledge in Japan, have joined the chorus of international voices raised against these fee-based models. Their endorsement signifies:
- Commitment to Global Open Access Principles: By supporting COAR’s statement, JPCOAR and JUSTICE reaffirm Japan’s dedication to the principles of open science and equitable access to research.
- Protecting Japanese Research Visibility: This move aims to ensure that research originating from Japanese institutions remains visible and discoverable on the international stage, preventing any disadvantage for Japanese researchers or institutions.
- Advocacy for a Sustainable and Equitable Future: The support from these Japanese organizations reinforces the call for collaborative efforts to develop sustainable funding models for open access infrastructure that do not compromise accessibility.
What Happens Next?
The united front presented by COAR, JPCOAR, JUSTICE, and potentially other supporting organizations, is a strong message to those proposing these fee structures. The next steps likely involve:
- Continued Dialogue and Advocacy: Engaging in discussions with service providers and relevant stakeholders to find alternative solutions.
- Promoting Awareness: Educating the research community and policymakers about the implications of these fee-based models.
- Exploring Alternative Funding Models: Working together to identify and implement sustainable and equitable funding mechanisms for repository registration and discovery services.
The stance taken by JPCOAR and JUSTICE underscores the growing global recognition that open access is not just a technical matter but a fundamental issue of equity and fairness in the advancement of knowledge. By aligning with COAR, they are actively working to ensure that the future of research dissemination remains open, inclusive, and accessible to all.
JPCOAR及びJUSTICE、リポジトリ登録への新たな課金制度に反対するCOARの声明に賛同
The AI has delivered the news.
The following question was used to generate the response from Google Gemini:
At 2025-07-07 08:32, ‘JPCOAR及びJUSTICE、リポジトリ登録への新たな課金制度に反対するCOARの声明に賛同’ was published according to カレントアウェアネス・ポータル. Please write a detailed article with related information in an easy-to-understand manner. Please answer in English.