Objective The shift from print-based to digital documents demands innovation from scientific publishers. Several radical new Open Access Publishing (OAP) business models have already emerged. The SOAP consortium represents key stakeholders such as publishers, funding agencies and a broad spectrum of research disciplines. It was formed to fuel the debate about the future of scientific publishing elaborated in COMMUNICATION (2007) 56, on scientific information in the digital age: access, dissemination and preservation. We believe that a variety of forms of OAP will ultimately co-exist, balancing attributes such as the cultural identities of the various stakeholders, career development paths, the perceived value of refereed publications and wider societal demand for access to information. The interests of researchers in the European Research Area (ERA) and worldwide will only be addressed by genuinely sustainable forms of publishing and commitment to change will only come about as a result of rational business decisions based on concrete evidence which does not exist today. The wider open access debate often relies on extrapolations and assumptions. We plan to begin to deliver evidence by: (1) Defining attributes that differentiate various business models for open access and identifying the drivers that motivate researchers in their desire for publication. OAP is unsustainable unless it makes sense for both publisher and researcher. (2) Providing the European Commission, publishers and funding agencies with the results of a comprehensive survey of the attitudes of researchers in the ERA. These will give real insight into the demand and importance of OAP for its ultimate users. (3) Applying the survey results to a range of specific publishing scenarios. We will describe and analyse new OAP solutions so that these may be emulated by other publishers, institutions and communities in an orderly transition to OAP wherever possible. Fields of science social scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managementbusiness models Keywords open access publishing scholarly communication scientific publishing sustainable business models Programme(s) FP7-SIS - Specific Programme "Capacities": Science in society Topic(s) SiS-2008-1.3.1.1 - Coordination and support actions on the scientific publishing system in connection with research excellence and dissemination and sharing of knowledge Call for proposal FP7-SCIENCE-IN-SOCIETY-2008-1 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme CSA-SA - Support actions Coordinator ORGANISATION EUROPEENNE POUR LA RECHERCHE NUCLEAIRE EU contribution € 264 709,00 Address ESPLANADE DES PARTICULES 1 PARCELLE 11482 DE MEYRIN BATIMENT CADASTRAL 1046 1211 GENEVE 23 Switzerland See on map Region Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Région lémanique Genève Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact Salvatore Mele (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Participants (5) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EV Germany EU contribution € 232 060,00 Address HOFGARTENSTRASSE 8 80539 Munchen See on map Region Bayern Oberbayern München, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Research Organisations Administrative Contact Josef Kastner Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES COUNCIL United Kingdom EU contribution € 71 867,00 Address Polaris House North Star Avenue SN2 1SZ SWINDON See on map Activity type Public bodies (excluding Research Organisations and Secondary or Higher Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Simon Lambert (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data BIOMED CENTRAL LIMITED United Kingdom EU contribution € 85 748,00 Address CLEVELAND STREET, MIDDLESEX HOUSE 34-42 W1T 4LB W1t 4lb See on map Region London Inner London — West Camden and City of London Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Matthew Cockerill (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data SAGE PUBLICATIONS LIMITED United Kingdom EU contribution € 77 726,00 Address CITY ROAD 55, OLIVER'S YARD 1 EC1Y 1SP LONDON See on map Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact David Ross (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data SPRINGER-VERLAG GMBH Germany EU contribution € 77 809,00 Address HEIDELBERGER PLATZ 3 14197 BERLIN See on map Activity type Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Wim Van Der Stelt (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Total cost No data