The government has adopted a new policy that requires a large portion of taxpayer-funded research to be made freely available online.
The policy, which has been welcomed by scientists, follows widespread calls for open access to publicly funded research.
“Opening access to research increases its impact by enabling more people to access scientific information and engage with research,” Research, Science and Innovation Minister Ayesha Verrall told the New Zealand Herald.
“This in turn increases the innovation potential of our research and maximises the return on our public investments in research.”
The policy will apply to all new research funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) from 2023. MBIE is one of the major funders of research in New Zealand.
Researchers will still be able to choose how and where their research was published, so long as it was made openly available. Because some scientific journals require payments for open-access publishing, a second route enabled by the policy meant research could also be released through university or online repositories.
The policy brings New Zealand in line with the US, UK, Europe and Australia, where similar policies have been in place for over a decade.
The Prime Minister’s Chief Science Adviser, Professor Dame Juliet Gerrard, welcomed the new policy.
“It’s really important that all government-funded research is open to the public, who ultimately pay for it.”
