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OpenCon works to make research & education more open and equitable.OpenCon is a community of emerging leaders that has advanced open policies, launched projects and organizations, built new tools, fostered the adoption of open practices, and hosted events in 44 countries & 24 languages—reaching over 9,500 participants. The community’s focus is not only on making research and education open but also on ensuring that we create a fundamentally equitable future. |
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Discover & AdvanceOver its first five years, many important discussions have happened at global OpenCon meetings. View the highlights from past years and get inspired to take action yourself. |
Upcoming Events
November 2026 OpenCon Librarian Community Call
Is It Time to Retire the Open Access Colors? Rethinking How We Define and Measure Open Access
For years, we've relied on labels like gold, green, hybrid, and bronze to describe open access publishing. But do these categories still reflect the evolving scholarly communication landscape? OpenAlex is considering a major shift in how open access is classified, moving away from the "color system" toward a more nuanced approach that distinguishes between access, location, and licensing. Join our next OpenCon Librarian Call for a discussion led by Ashley Farley, a member of the OpenAlex working group that developed the proposed recommendations. We'll explore the limitations of the current classification system, what the proposed changes could mean for libraries, and how they might affect open access reporting, research assessment, and advocacy. This is an opportunity to share your perspective! We'll discuss how libraries currently use OA classifications, what challenges a transition might present, and how the library community can help shape the future of open access measurement. Read the OpenAlex blog post ahead of the call and come ready to share your thoughts!
https://blog.openalex.org/is-it-time-to-retire-the-oa-colours-tell-us-what-you-think/
You can register for the November call here.
Agenda and Notes
You can find all the proposed agendas and notes from the Librarian community calls in one place, right here.
Recordings
Community Calls are not recorded to support a safer environment for open and honest discussion. However, notes are taken.
What to expect
Community calls are always friendly, and we love new faces. The more you participate, the more you'll get out of it!
December 2026 OpenCon Librarian Community Call
The Cost of Knowledge: What the Public Invests Before an Article Is Published
Who really pays for scholarly publishing?
Join us for the December OpenCon Librarian Call to explore new research revealing that more than 95% of the investment in a published scholarly article is made by the public and research institutions—before it even reaches a publisher. We'll be joined by Nick Shockey, Associate Executive Director at SPARC, who will share insights into the development of the Cost of Knowledge Calculator and discuss how libraries can use this tool to support open access advocacy, engage researchers, and demonstrate the often-overlooked public investment in scholarly publishing. Join us for a conversation about who funds research, who controls its outputs, and who benefits from the knowledge we create.
https://sparcopen.org/our-work/cost-of-knowledge/
You can register for the December call here.
Agenda and Notes
You can find all the proposed agendas and notes from the Librarian community calls in one place, right here.
Recordings
Community Calls are not recorded to support a safer environment for open and honest discussion. However, notes are taken.
What to expect
Community calls are always friendly, and we love new faces. The more you participate, the more you'll get out of it!
We’re working to make online research & educational materials free to read, share, and modify for all.
Research Papers
We believe in Open Access—the free, immediate, online availability of research articles—to ensure that anyone with an Internet connection can read, use, and build upon research findings.
Research Data
We advocate for Open Research Data so that anyone can freely download, copy, analyze and re-process data. We believe Open Data encourages transparency and collaboration among researchers, accelerates discovery, and allows the public to engage with publicly funded data.
Education
We believe in Open Education to maximize the power of the Internet to make educational materials more affordable, more accessible and more effective for learners. We advocate for Open Education so that teachers can share, adapt, and build off existing materials.
Blog and News
Join the next generation of advocates & scholars to shape the future of Open Research and Education.
Organized by the Right to Research Coalition & SPARC
OpenCon is organized by SPARC, the Right to Research Coalition, and a Organizing Committee of students and early career academic professionals from around the world.