Open Access, Preprints, and the Future of Open Scholarship: ACS Publications at the Researcher to Reader 2025 conference

An on-demand recording of a panel at the 2025 Researcher to Reader conference – “Open Access, Preprints, and the Future of Research Communication” – is now available on Youtube.

Over the last decade, much of the uptake of open access by authors has been the result of institutional OA agreements with publishers. Uptake has not been globally uniform, and the approach has been criticised for furthering inequalities put in place by the ‘Big Deals’ offered by publishers. Alternative models have been developed that aim to increase access to published articles and the ability to publish OA. Our panel of speakers discussed how these initiatives have progressed, the challenges inherent in building equitable approaches, and possible steps to ensure the sustainability of publishing and bibliodiversity.

The panel of speakers included:

• Christopher Pym, Key Account Manager, Funders at ACS Publications
• Colin Adcock, Publishing Manager, Open Science at American Physical Society
• Ashley Farley, Senior Officer at Gates Foundation
• Ben Mudrak, Senior Product Manager at ChemRxiv