The complexity of implementing multilateral open access agreements at the publication level has in part hindered progress towards a broader transition to open access: A multitude of systems and processes, communication between funders, institutions and publishers, and inconsistent terminology, among other things, cause a high administrative burden. As a neutral, independent intermediary, the metadata communication system OA Switchboard helps to simplify implementation by providing common infrastructures, standards and back-office services for stakeholders.
The three German National Libraries, TIB – Leibniz Information Centre for Science and Technology, ZB MED – Information Centre for Life Sciences and ZBW – Leibniz Information Centre for Economics are jointly funding access to the OA Switchboard for universities and research institutions across Germany in a pilot phase in 2023 and 2024. German universities and research institutions interested in free access to OA Switchboard can contact support@oaswitchboard.org.
About the OA Switchboard
The Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association (OASPA) founded OA Switchboard in October 2020. The tool provides a central interface for the rapid standardised exchange of information and messages between universities, universities of applied sciences and research institutions and their libraries and publishers, as well as research funders. It was developed to improve communication between stakeholders about articles submitted and publications made by transmitting relevant metadata about each article in a timely manner and in a standardised data format. In this way, the tool can support institutions such as libraries or universities in the necessary documentation of OA publications by their own researchers.