Blog post by Eric Luth and Josefine Hellroth Larsson
Four out of five research articles funded by Swedish taxpayers are openly accessible. That is an achievement to be proud of. But it also reminds us that one-fifth of research findings remain closed to the public, civil society, and even other researchers. Unless universities themselves pay to access the very research they already financed, a system that costs the public over 800 million kronor (roughly 75 million euros) every year is not delivering fully for the public. Moreover, every krona spent on access is one krona less, which can be invested in new research rather than in publishers’ fees.
Two Key Reforms for Open Science
In this new report supported by Knowledge Rights 21, Open Science and Copyright, Wikimedia Sverige and the Swedish Library Association (Svensk biblioteksförening) outline a way forward toward 100% Open Science, challenging the current system of academic publishing. The report highlights two crucial reforms: first, that Sweden should introduce legislation guaranteeing so-called secondary publishing rights; and second, that Swedish universities should adopt policies on rights retention.
Researchers are currently often forced to sign contracts that strip them of control over their own work. Publishers hold the power, while individual researchers often lack the legal expertise or power to negotiate. The result is that society pays twice — first to fund the research, and then again to read it.
The Way Forward: Rights Retention & Secondary Publishing Rights
A system where researchers retain their rights and license their articles openly from the start would strengthen their position. But for this to work, universities must stand behind their researchers with clear policies and common guidelines. On this front, Sweden lags behind countries like Norway, where universities already have such policies in place.
An even stronger step would be to introduce a secondary publishing right in Swedish law. In several EU countries — including Bulgaria, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Slovenia — researchers already have the legal right to republish their articles openly, regardless of the terms set by publishers. Such a reform in Sweden would ensure that publicly funded research is also publicly accessible. Sweden should also continue to champion this issue at the EU level, in line with the Council conclusions from the Swedish EU Presidency in May 2023.
Why Open Knowledge Matters
When knowledge is free, it can be accessed and used by teachers, libraries, innovators, policymakers, and the public across the world. It can enrich crowdsourced knowledge platforms like Wikipedia, counter disinformation, and strengthen trust in science. But when research results remain locked away, public trust in science might erode, and society loses out.
To open up access to research, universities must adopt rights-retention policies and politicians must have the courage to legislate a secondary publishing right. Knowledge funded by the public should belong to the public.
10 September 2025
