FAPESP's Open Access Policy (2019), São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)

What is this about?

FAPESP’s Open Access Policy (2019), published by the São Paulo Research Foundation, sets national expectations for open science and open access in Brazil, aligning them with international standards. Written in English, it frames openness as the default while respecting ethics, privacy, intellectual property, and security, following the principle of being “as open as possible, as closed as necessary.” The policy emphasizes open access publishing through trusted repositories, Creative Commons licensing, persistent identifiers, and FAIR data principles supported by data management plans. It defines responsibilities for researchers, institutions, and funders, including rights retention, funding acknowledgment, and transparent rules for embargoes or exceptions. Infrastructure such as repositories, registries, and discovery services underpins compliance and visibility, linking Brazilian practices with initiatives like Plan S and national repository networks. Equity, responsible openness, and multilingual access are central, ensuring affordability and inclusion while safeguarding sensitive or Indigenous data. Serving as both a benchmark and practical checklist, the policy offers actionable steps to strengthen transparency, reproducibility, and equitable research access in Brazil.

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