Task Forces

The operation and sustainability of the European Diamond Capacity Hub are supported by the collective efforts of six specialised Task Forces, each addressing critical aspects of functionality and long-term impact. The Task Forces work collaboratively to ensure the European Diamond Capacity Hub remains efficient and serves as an inclusive venue for the Diamond Open Access community in Europe. 

Marion Paulhac
marion.paulhac[at]operas-eu.org

The Community Task Force aims to establish a community of practice on Diamond Open Access publishing. Its activities promote collaboration among Publishers, Service Providers, and Technology Providers, with the objective of aligning efforts and streamlining operations to enhance efficiency and impact. Coordinated by OPERAS, the Task Force supports the Registry and the Forum of the European Diamond Capacity Hub.

The Registry offers comprehensive, up-to-date information about organisations involved in Diamond OA publishing within the European Research Area, with an aim to increase their visibility, showcase their expertise, and highlight their capacities. The Forum is a collaborative platform designed to foster the interaction across the community by providing an inclusive, interactive space for members to engage in dialogue, exchange knowledge, and share best practices. The Toolsuite is an online platform that hosts  resources that support Diamond Open Access and the Diamond Open Access Standard (DOAS) including a set of high-level articles, in-depth guidelines and links to self-assessment tools, training materials and other resources.

Through its activities, the Community Task Force aims to strengthen connections and foster partnerships within the Diamond OA landscape in Europe. Following the launch of the European Diamond Capacity Hub, the main priority of the Task Force is to establish a broad and active network of Capacity Centres across Europe. All organisations involved in publishing or providing services, tools, or technologies for Diamond Open Access are invited to join the Task Force.

Johan Rooryck
johan.rooryck[at]gmail.com

‘Diamondisation’ is a cover term for all actions that help transition scholarly outputs (journals, books, preprints, data, peer reviews) to a Diamond Open Access model as defined by the 6 operational criteria of the Diamond Discovery Hub and – at least – the ‘Required’ properties mentioned in the Diamond Open Access Standard (DOAS).

The Diamondisation Task Force will establish a fund to help Diamond Capacity Centers and Service Providers transition scholarly outputs to Diamond Diamond Open Access. The Diamondisation Task Force will evaluate applications by Diamond Capacity Centers and Service Providers to transition outputs in the sense defined above. 

Diamondisation efforts that are in scope for this TF include the following:

1. Transitioning scholarly disciplines lacking Diamond Diamond Open Access options.
2. Transitioning existing subscription journals.
3. Transitioning existing journal communities.
4. Transitioning outputs other than journals.

Zoé Ancion 
zoe.ancion[at]agencerecherche.fr

Suzanne Dumouchel
suzanne.dumouchel[at]operas-eu.org

Vanessa Proudman
vproudman[at]sparceurope.org

The goal of the funding Task Force is to help the European Diamond Capacity Hub coordinators raise funds for the European Diamond Capacity Hub in the mid to long-term. We will use a stakeholder-targeted approach to explore funding opportunities before we set up communication strategies and annual work plans. We will establish key messaging and processes to speak to potential funders be they institutions, research agencies, charities, government or others. 

It will be essential to work closely with the EC DIAMAS and ALMASI projects to seek synergies and utilise capacities. As part of this framework, it is vital to consider sustaining the European Diamond Capacity Hub as part of the wider scholarly publishing and research data ecosystem, including international services and infrastructure, such as ORE and EOSC. Before work can begin, it is essential that the case for an European Diamond Capacity Hub is made, its costs and need, which means that we will need to liaise closely with the Community Manager and communication specialists of the European Diamond Capacity Hub.

Pilar Rico-Castro
pilar.rico[at]fecyt.es

The Quality Alignment Task Force is coordinated by FECYT, and focuses on creating a global standard for quality in scholarly publishing and research communication. Its primary goal is to promote the Diamond Open Access Standard (DOAS) as a benchmark for transparency, rigor, and inclusivity within the academic and research communities. By addressing current disparities in open access, the Task Force aims to build a high-quality, collaborative environment where quality is seen as a public good.

The work to be done in this Task Force includes raising awareness about DOAS through outreach campaigns, collaborating on translations of the DOAS document, and setting up forums for discussions on new developments, like the integration of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). The idea is to promote the use of DOAS through its Self-Assessment Tool, with a more ambitious plan to expand it into an external monitoring tool. The Task Force encourages all institutions, researchers, and stakeholders in scholarly publishing to join in and support the initiative.

Through these efforts, the Quality Alignment Task Force seeks to promote equitable knowledge sharing and improve global standards in open access publishing. 

Karla Avanço
karla.avanco[at]openedition.org

The purpose of the Skills and Competences Task Force is to enhance capacity in Diamond Open Access publishing. The two main activities of this Task Force are providing a learning management system hosting tailored training materials for users of the European Diamond Capacity Hub and supporting the community in implementing training autonomously. 

The Learning Management System (Moodle) allows easy access to training materials ranging from self-paced courses to micro-learning contents. Community support relies on the use of a pedagogical and technical framework including recommendations on training delivery and evaluation.

Through its activities, the Skills and Competences Task Force will liaise with other Task Forces, especially the Community and Quality Task Force.  Following the launch of the European Diamond Capacity Hub, the Task Force will deliver the Moodle platform with a set of self-paced courses. 

Coordinated by OpenEdition, the Task Force invites all organisations involved in publishing or providing services, tools, or technologies for Diamond Open Access to participate.

Maxim Kupreyev
maxim.kupreyev[at]operas-eu.org

This Task Force is dedicated to advancing technical excellence and fostering collaboration within the Diamond OA community, ensuring sustainability and innovation for the future. Led by OPERAS RI, the Task Force is providing technical tools and services that ensure interoperability and compliance across systems. It also supports and advises technical coordination within the EDCH initiative, fostering collaboration and innovation in the field. 

Initially, the Task Force comprises members of the CRAFT-OA Technical Board, including project participants involved in technical tasks, and is chaired and co-chaired by representatives from OPERAS. Invited institutional publishing technology and service providers (IPTPs/IPSPs) and experts in specific technical areas may also participate. Decision-making is consensus-based whenever possible, with the Chair having the authority for final decisions when consensus cannot be reached.

The Task Force builds upon the outputs of the CRAFT-OA project and works to identify additional tools and technologies relevant to the Diamond publishing lifecycle, including solutions for authoring, peer-review tracking, publishing, indexing, dissemination and preservation, among others. It also advises EDCH on emerging technologies, such as the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Diamond OA. 

Resources supporting the Task Force include funding from the CRAFT-OA project until the end of 2025 and in-kind contributions from participating individuals and organizations.