As we support a transformation in terms of how published research is conducted, disseminated, used and consumed, it is vital that researchers maintain their freedom to publish in the publication outlet of their choice. This ensures their work reaches the widest possible audience and has the greatest impact.  Publishers support author choice through a growing number of business models, transformative agreements and online tools. These provide a flexible selection of mechanisms for authors to make their works as widely available as possible, whilst maintaining the highest standards of quality and integrity, discoverability and usability. They also ensure that adequate funding is available for vital investments into review, stewardship, discovery tools, and preservation, as well as to support continued innovation in scholarly communication.

Regardless of the field of study, sharing data is one of the most fundamental aspects of maintaining the integrity of research. The availability of research data plays a vital role in ensuring reproducibility and in advancing the impact of research. There is an increasing need to ensure the availability, discoverability and re-usability of research data for all stakeholders working across scholarly communications. Publishers are pivotal in offering solutions which meet this need, contributing to Open Science and boosting the sharing of research data. STM joined forces with DataCite and Crossref to issue a joint statement aimed at guiding the scholarly community in effective research data sharing by recommending best practices for researchers, data repositories, publishers, funders and other stakeholders. .

Publishers are continually developing new ways of engaging both researchers and the wider community in science. Some examples include training for researchers on open science practices, tools to facilitate researchers to identify reliable publishers and journals, the publication of lay summaries of articles analysing important research and the opening up of scholarly communication to wider public audiences. All of these efforts can accelerate discovery and create a more equitable system of research and scholarship.

STM publishers are keen on engaging with policy-makers and other industry stakeholders across the globe to develop Open Science practices and policies that promote sustainable and forward-looking scholarly communication and support and allow innovation and experimentation. We offer our expertise and data to ensure that policy decisions are evidence-based and can ensure the sustainability, integrity and long-term availability of the scholarly record upon which any innovation is built. 

Many publishers have exhibited thought leadership by examining how open science can be best practised by undertaking research, publishing white papers and supporting industry principles, with respect to research integrity, open science practices, and innovation. 

STM members provide the sometimes-invisible information infrastructure upon which the progress of science and scholarship relies. This is equally true in the Open Science context, where scholarly communication resources and services, including software is critical to enable the scientific and scholarly community to collect, store, organise, access, share, and assess research (see The Global Sustainability Coalition for Open Science Services (SCOSS).