SPARC Projects

Right to Research Coalition

Open Access

Launched in 2009, the Right to Research Coalition (R2RC) is an international alliance of more than 90 undergraduate and graduate student organizations in over 100 countries around the world, that work to promote openness in research through advocacy and education. The Right to Research Coalition is an initiative of SPARC.

The Right to Research Coalition co-hosts OpenCon, an international conference series and community empowering students and early career academic professionals to advance Open Access, Open Education, and Open Data.

The Right to Research Coalition and its membership work to educate the next generation of researchers, administrators, and policymakers about the benefits of opening up research and to advocate for progressive policies at the local, national, and international level. The Right to Research Coalition and its members have been an important catalyst for change through:

  • Making the case for strong, national Open Access policies to hundreds of policymakers. In the United States, R2RC members have secured many co-sponsors for federal public access legislation, and in Canada, students have met with over one hundred MPs and policymakers and testified in support of Open Access before Parliament;
  • Raising the profile of Open Access in the media by publishing articles and op-eds in support of Open Access in outlets such as the Washington Post;
  • Advocating for institutional Open Access policies on dozens of campuses throughout North America, Europe, and Africa, including recent successes in Nepal where students have been instrumental in lobbying for strong policies at a national level and establishing repositories at major universities;
  • Educating the next generation of researchers, administrators, and policymakers about the importance of Open Access. During Open Access Week 2012, R2RC-affiliated students educated nearly half of all Kenyan medical students about Open Access as well as many faculty and university leaders; and,

Producing resources and tools to advance Open Access advocacy and awareness raising efforts, including the “Open Access Explained!” video which has seen almost 250,000 views, the R2RC Open Publishing Guide for Students, the Open Access Button and the University Global Health Research League Table.

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