Office of Science and Technology Policy Memorandum on Open Access (2022), Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)

What is this about?

Office of Science and Technology Policy Memorandum on Open Access (2022), published by the OSTP, sets national expectations for open science and open access in the USA, aligning them with international standards. Written in English, it frames openness as the default while balancing ethics, privacy, intellectual property, and security, following the principle “as open as possible, as closed as necessary.” The memorandum emphasizes open access publishing through trusted repositories, Creative Commons licensing, persistent identifiers, and FAIR data principles supported by data management plans. Responsibilities for researchers, institutions, and funders are clearly defined, including rights retention, funding acknowledgment, and transparent rules for embargoes or exceptions. Enabling infrastructure repositories, registries, discovery services, and research information systems supports compliance and visibility, while alignment with initiatives such as Plan S and national networks ensures interoperability. Equity, inclusion, and responsible openness are central, with safeguards for sensitive or Indigenous data. Serving as both a benchmark and practical checklist, it offers actionable steps to improve transparency, reproducibility, and equitable access to research in the USA.

For whom is this important?

All stakeholders in research

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