Welcome to the latest edition of the Open Pharma monthly update! Each month, our team curates the most important news, milestones and insights from the Open Pharma community and beyond, bringing them straight to your inbox.
In this issue, we’re excited to highlight Open Pharma’s publication of a cross-publisher agreement on PLSP principles and a call for contributors to help develop a global reporting standard for AI disclosure.
Open Pharma updates
Cross-publisher agreement on the defining principles of PLSPs
- We are delighted to announce the publication in Current Medical Research and Opinion of our article titled Cross-publisher agreement on the defining principles of plain language summaries of publications (PLSPs). We worked with PLSP-producing publishers Becaris Publishing, Sage and Taylor & Francis to develop the first set of cross-publisher definitions and principles for PLSPs with the aim of improving the identification and indexing of PLSPs. These principles outline practical steps for authors and publishers to develop and publish PLSPs, helping to make scientific research easier to access and understand. Read more in the Open Pharma PLSP playbook, which includes workflow guidance and additional resources to support the development and publication of PLSPs.
OpenEvidence topic meeting
- James Phimister (Strategic Advisor to the CEO, National Partnerships) and Travis Zack (Chief Medical Officer) at OpenEvidence joined us for the July Open Pharma topic meeting to discuss the increasing use of OpenEvidence by clinicians at the point of care. The discussion explored how access to full-text content, either through open access or publisher partnerships, can influence the evidence available to AI tools and the outputs generated. It also provided insights into OpenEvidence’s approach to bias mitigation, quality assurance, and the handling of corrections and retractions. Look out for an upcoming article series in the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals Insider newsletter investigating the impact of OpenEvidence and other AI tools on scientific communications.
Call for contributors: a global reporting standard on AI disclosure
- Following our first feedback report towards the Global reporting standard for AI disclosure in research in February 2026, we would like to invite Open Pharma Members and Supporters to contribute to the upcoming second consultation. Two multi-stakeholder workshops will be held to discuss when and how AI use should be disclosed, what disclosures should be mandatory, and how to signal responsibility and accountability. This will build on the themes of the first report, which identified foundational qualities and structural features of a global reporting standard on AI use. Please reach out to the Open Pharma team at Oxford PharmaGenesis if you are interested in contributing.
Insight of the month
Academic freedom for the win; open access mandate in Germany declared unconstitutional via The Scholarly Kitchen | 3-minute read
- The European Commission is debating the implementation of EU-wide secondary publication rights, which would allow authors of publicly funded research to make manuscripts available through open access repositories alongside journal publication. As discussed in this commentary from The Scholarly Kitchen, a recent German court case ruled that a mandatory manuscript deposit requirement imposed by the State of Baden-Württemberg was invalid, citing concerns about author rights and academic freedom. This discussion adds to the ongoing debate around the purpose and value of secondary publications. However, it is important to distinguish between repository copies of existing manuscripts and secondary publications that offer additional value, such as PLSPs. Open Pharma’s recently published principles for PLSPs provide an example of how secondary publications can enhance accessibility and understanding while maintaining links to the primary publication. Recognition of these distinctions may help shift the conversation from whether a publication is a duplicate to a discussion of what purpose it serves and what audiences it benefits.
Recommended reads
From writing the rules to building the tools: responsible research assessment in practice via Digital Science | 9-minute read
Early-career researchers lead shift towards AI-first discovery in research workflows via Springer Nature | 3-minute read
Open Science 2.0 – When access is no longer enough via LinkedIn | 5-minute read
Who funds open data sharing? Analysis of data availability statements in biomedical publications via bioRxiv | 30-minute read
Upcoming dates and deadlines
These meetings are for Open Pharma Members and Supporters only. Please contact us for more information about how to join Open Pharma.
- PLS and discoverability working group | Review the open letter to publishers advocating for abstract-style PLS – 10:00–11:00 EDT / 15:00–16:00 BST / 16:00–17:00 CEST on 10 August
- Patient involvement working group | Project updates – 10:30–11:30 EDT / 15:30–16:30 BST / 16:30–17:30 CEST on 20 August
- OA working group | Topic TBC – 09:00–10:00 EDT / 14:00–15:00 BST / 15:00–16:00 CEST on 21 August
- Members’ meeting – 09:00–10:00 EDT / 14:00–15:00 BST / 15:00–16:00 CEST on 27 August
- AI discussion forum | How AI finds, trusts and cites your science – Date and time TBC
- Topic meeting | Considerations for creating a PLSP in a new topic area – 11:00–12:00 EDT / 16:00–17:00 BST / 17:00–18:00 CEST on 27 August
We hope you enjoyed, and found inspiration in, this month’s highlights. As always, we welcome your feedback and contributions – if you have an idea for a future monthly update, let us know! To keep up to date with what we’re doing between updates, make sure to follow us on Bluesky and LinkedIn.
