19 October 2026
IUCr marks International Open Access Week 2026
IUCr marks International Open Access Week 2026
International Open Access Week takes place from 19–25 October 2026 under this year’s theme, “The Cost of Knowledge”. The theme invites the research community to consider the financial, human and environmental costs involved in creating, sharing and sustaining knowledge.
For the IUCr, open access forms part of a wider commitment to Open Science. That includes not only making research available to read, but also supporting rigorous peer review, trusted data standards, reproducibility, long-term preservation, open educational resources and the responsible reuse of scientific data.
Crystallography has a long history of building this infrastructure. The adoption of the Crystallographic Information File (CIF), the development of checkCIF, online access to IUCr Journals and the publication of reusable datasets through IUCrData all help ensure that structural science can be discovered, validated and built upon.
At the same time, making knowledge open does not remove the costs of producing and maintaining a reliable scientific record. Peer review, editorial expertise, data stewardship, publishing infrastructure and long-term archiving all require continued investment.
As a not-for-profit learned society publisher, the IUCr aims to balance openness with long-term sustainability. Publishing activity supports the wider work of the Union, including conferences, workshops, education, outreach, scientific exchange, early-career development and prizes.
Throughout Open Access Week, we will be highlighting how IUCr Journals and the wider crystallographic community contribute to Open Science through open access, data standards, validation, education and community-led publishing.
