SNSF launches OAPEN-CH pilot project for Open Access book publications

In February 2015, the SNSF will start the OAPEN-CH pilot project in collaboration with interested academic publishers in Switzerland and Germany. The aim is to learn more about Open Access publishing and collect data on the use and the production costs of Open Access book publications.

​The SNSF renewed its publication funding as of 1 July 2014. It now finances digital book publications that are freely accessible 24 months after initial publication at the latest. Researchers have the option to publish a printed book in parallel to the digital version.

Before implementing this new publication funding policy, the SNSF repeatedly held discussions with Swiss academic publishing houses. In order to learn more about the publishing process for Open Access monographs, the SNSF and representatives of Swiss academic publishers decided to launch a pilot project about Open Access book publishing...