The Open Research movement seeks to maximise the impact and benefits of research by prioritising barrier-free access to research findings, data and methodologies. Open Research reflects a fundamental belief that the pursuit of knowledge benefits directly from collaboration, transparency, rapid dissemination and accessibility.

The aims of the Open Research movement offer significant benefits for researchers, authors, institutions, funders, governments and society as a whole. The promise of accelerating the ability of research to solve problems and tackle complex issues is leading institutions, funders and governmental bodies to strongly embrace it. Seismic changes are underway, and there is no doubt that openness will play a significant role in the future of academic publishing.

What is Open Research?

Open Research is a broad and still evolving landscape. Some aspects of it are well established, such as open access publishing, and other aspects such as Open Data are becoming increasingly adopted. Open Research can also include greater openness in other aspects of publishing (such as open peer review) as well as other parts of research lifecycles.

Open Research is important to Cambridge University Press

Our mission is to unlock people’s potential with the best learning and research solutions. This mission complements the goals of the Open Research movement which seeks to unlock the potential in academic research, using open tools to drive collaboration and improve accessibility, efficiency and impact. That vision, so closely aligned with our own, is why we believe that making Open Research work for our communities is so important.

As a university press and not-for-profit publisher we are part of, and are led by, the research community. We have both the opportunity and the responsibility to help shape the implementation of Open Research within academic publishing, exploring and innovating the models that will ensure sustainability and quality, while maximising the benefits that openness offers.

We will be a strong advocate for both the benefits of Open Research and the needs of our community, transforming ourselves through investment and collaboration, into an even more efficient, impactful, community-led and diverse publisher.

Through investment and engagement with the community, Cambridge University Press is committing to the development of a sustainable, more open future for academic publishing. In doing so we hope to accelerate the ability of academic research to solve complex problems and contribute to the challenges facing wider society. We hope you’ll join us.