Open access
The National Library of Sweden is tasked with promoting and coordinating the work for open access to scholarly publications. The goal is for all such publications to be available on the internet, free for everyone to read and reuse.
Open access is important for all of society. When research results quickly become available, more people can validate and build on previous results. Research is not only conducted at universities, but also in business, industry and the public sector, where there is also a great need for open access.
National goal
The government has stated in previous research proposals that open access to research results contributes to maintaining and promoting the high quality of research. In the latest proposal Research, freedom, future - knowledge and innovation for Sweden (2020/21:60)
External link., the government states that by 2021, scholarly publications that are the result of research financed with public funds must be published with immediate open access. With regard to research data, the transition must be fully implemented by 2026 at the latest.
Open access is one of the building blocks of open science, a concept that addresses openness in all areas of research. In June 2022, the National Library (Kungliga biblioteket, KB) was tasked with developing national guidelines for open science. The guidelines were published in January 2024.
Coordinating open access
The government's instructions to KB include coordinating the work for open access to scholarly publications in Sweden. This assignment is described in the instructions to KB as the following:
KB shall coordinate, monitor and promote collaboration in the work for open access to scholarly publications and every year publish a report with a combined mapping, analysis and assessment of the national work with open access to scholarly publications.
Reporting
KB reports to the government annually on the coordination assignment. The report provides an overall picture of the current situation regarding the transition to an open access publishing system and presents the areas that KB has identified as particularly prioritised in the continued national work with open access to scholarly publications.
