As open policies and practices become more the norm, there has been considerable debate on the topic of open access publishing. This debate has highlighted a lack of common understanding of what open access is, why it is important, and how it works. To address this misunderstanding, Medical Publishing Insights & Practices (MPIP)* is launching 2 initiatives during Open Access Week 2018.

1. MPIP Open Access Reference Site: To build a common foundation of knowledge for open access conversations and provide answers to some of the most frequently asked questions on open access publishing, including:

• • What is open access publishing?
  • Why choose to publish open access?
  • Do open access publishing requirements and availability of open access options vary by funding source?
  • What are the economic aspects of open access?
  • Are open access journals more likely to be “predatory journals”?

Our goal in developing this reference site was to equip all stakeholders in the conversation, including funders, academic scholars, publishers, journal editors, and pharmaceutical-industry representatives, with a common knowledge on what open access is as a foundation for broader discussion.

2. MPIP Open Access Blog Series featured on the Transparency and Data Sharing Blog. To complement our open access reference site, MPIP is also launching a series discussing open access publishing. In the first post of the series, Paul Wicks, Vice President of Innovation at PatientsLikeMe, shares his insights on the importance of open access publishing in enabling patients and caregivers to access the latest research results. Additional experts will share their insights on open access in the coming months.

*MPIP was founded by members of the pharmaceutical industry and the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP) to elevate trust, transparency, and integrity in reporting the results of industry-sponsored research. For more information on MPIP, please visit our website.