2020 Update: SPARC Landscape Analysis & Roadmap for Action

Abstract

<p>In the year since SPARC's Landscape Analysis and Roadmap for Action were published, major companies have shifted away from research publishing and towards research assessment; from individual research distribution to consolidated models and the emergence of a “Bigger Deal,” where institutional content licensing is directly linked to the purchase of data analytics services. This update examines the implications of these trends, and provides suggested actions for the community to consider, with a particular emphasis on establishing strong principles to guide the purchase of any data analytics related product or service. It also provides an appendix that reviews in deep detail the financial performance of key academic publishers in 2019 and 2020, as well as their response to changes in their respective marketplaces. While the current environment presents the significant challenges, it also opens up a strategic opportunity for the academic community to think about a different future, and consider not just focusing on “reopening” using the same system, but to make substantive progress towards building a more equitable and open one.</p>