Public Policy Statements and Responses

The Council of Australian University Librarians (CAUL) and Open Access Australasia wish to express our joint concerns over the recent introduction of the Article Development Charge (ADC) model by the American Chemical Society (ACS). 

CAUL Members and others across the Australian scholarly community have expressed many concerns about this development in recent days, which are reflected in this statement.  CAUL urges ACS to reconsider this model, taking into account the broader implications for the academic community, especially those concerning open access, transparency, and equity, and to support broader efforts to ensure authors retain rights – at no cost – over their accepted manuscripts.

A joint submission from CAUL, NSLA, ALIA, ASA, and CAARA on the Academy of Social Sciences Decadal Plan for Social Science Research Infrastructure 2023-32

View the submission (pdf)

Statement

CAUL response to the exposure draft of the National Research Infrastructure Roadmap 2021, released for consultation by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment.

The COVID-19 pandemic is highlighting the crucial role that free, open and immediate access to research plays in combating this threat to human life, society and our way of life.

CAUL and NSLA recently reviewed the principles for access to electronic resources as agreed in 2013. The substance of the principles is the same with the only change being the substitution of “licensed digital content” to replace “electronic resources”.

CAUL's response to the proposed merger of Cengage and McGraw-Hill to the ACCC informal review submitted on the 17th September 2019.

The response addresses questions four and five posed by the Australian Academy of the Humanities consultation paper 'The Future Humanities Workforce': What are future knowledge, skills, and capabilities that humanities researchers will require? And what can the humanities contribute to the data and digital literacy agenda over the next decade?

On the 4th September 2018 Science Europe announced cOAlition S and Plan S – a process for achieving full and immediate open access to research publications by 2020.

CAUL's response to the New Australian Government Data Sharing and Release Legislation issues paper.

In May 2018 the Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training adopted an inquiry in Funding Australia’s Research referred by the Minister for Education and Training.

In October 2017 the Business Council of Australia (BCA) launched the discussion paper Future Proof: Protecting Australians Through Education and Skills.

The Bureau of Communications and Arts Research (BCAR) will undertake this review in consultation with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). The BCAR are seeking feedback on the extent to which the current Code of Conduct for Copyright Collecting Societies promotes fair and efficient outcomes for both members and licensees of copyright collecting societies in Australia. The BCAR intends to release a draft report in late 2017 and provide a final report to Government in 2018. 

The discussion paper poses a number of questions and flags new ideas for further discussion with Australia’s higher education community about the issues of retention, completion and success. Submission's to the HESP were open until the 7th July 2017. The HESP intends to follow up with a series of public consultations.

The Australian Government has tasked Innovation and Science Australia (ISA) with developing a Strategic Plan for the Australian innovation, science and research system out to 2030. An issues paper has been released by ISA to facilitate public consultation on the strategic plan. Responses to the issues paper were accepted until the 7th June.