With the NHMRC bailing on immediate OA on publication starting next year (CMM November 2 ) a national scheme depends on the Chief Scientist

Dr Foley raised a national OA scheme in March (CMM March 18) and got from the Industry Minister? a big tick to get on with it in (CMM August 31). However, the last CMM heard she is still talking to stakeholders and considering what needs be done.

There was an indication of what she is thinking during the week when she described an article in Nature as a “quality read.” “Great to see synergies with my message that opening access to research literature will benefit the broader community. It’s not just about researchers,” she wrote (via Twitter).

The read she rates is by Nick Campbell VP for academic affairs at journal giant Springer-Nature, who referred to Dr Foley’s work towards “an Australian model”, “moving beyond the currently fragmented and uneven approach to open access in Australia by seeking to implement an overarching national strategy through a comprehensive nationwide agreement that champions the quality-assured, value-added version of record.”

And he pointed to his company’s recent deal with the Council of Australian University Librarians. The Springer-CAUL deal includes reading-access to 2000 journals for researchers at 47 participating universities (plus seven other institutions)  and 3300 articles to be published by them in hybrid journals, which carry paywalled and pay to publish content. The cost to CAUL members is their subscription. (CMM October 21).

This looks like the same deal CAUL has done with Wiley (above), which leaves CMM wondering, what, if anything is afoot with Elsevier?