The Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) has been publishing its research findings and promoting their dissemination through academic journals and other channels. During the 5th Medium to Long-Term Plan (FY2021–2025), over 70% of academic papers for which JIRCAS researchers were corresponding authors have been published as open access (OA).
Since the Budapest Open Access Initiative was announced in 2002, OA initiatives have progressed worldwide. OA means that academic information such as research papers can be accessed free of charge and freely reused regardless of time, location, or legal restrictions. In Japan, the Integrated Innovation Strategy Promotion Council established the “Basic Policy on the Immediate Open Access of Academic Papers" in February 2024, and the immediate OA of research papers funded by public resources has been promoted as a national policy.
JIRCAS conducts research aimed at improving agricultural, forestry, and fisheries-related technologies in developing regions and proposes optimal technological solutions to address global challenges, which is one of its basic principles and operation policies. Based on this philosophy, JIRCAS has been promoting OA through institutional repositories* and transformative agreements** with publishers to publish research findings broadly without restrictions. Recently, JIRCAS officially formulated the “Open Access Policy of the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences."
Under this policy, JIRCAS will further accelerate the OA of academic papers to enhance the dissemination and utilization of research findings. By strengthening collaboration with researchers and practitioners worldwide, JIRCAS aims to contribute to food security and the realization of sustainable agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.
*Institutional Repository: An electronic archive system established by a research institution to collect, preserve, and publish the intellectual outputs of its affiliated researchers in digital form.
**Transformative Agreements: Agreements intended to shift payments to academic journal publishers from subscription fees to open access (OA) publication fees.
References:
- JIRCAS Institutional Repository
- Open Access Policy of the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences
- Springer Nature supports further transition to open access through expansion of transformative agreements in Japan (Springer Nature press release, January 29, 2025)
- List of institutions under Wiley’s transformative agreements (Wiley)
- About the Microbiology Society’s Publish and Read agreement (Microbiology Society)