28 January 2026
This new report from Thoth Open Metadata provides a comprehensive review of international metadata standards and requirements for open access books and chapters. It aims to support small-to-medium sized independent scholar-led, as well as institutional, publishers of open access books in implementing effective metadata management practices, thereby improving the discoverability, interoperability and sustainability of open access books.
The report situates Thoth Open Metadata within a broader movement towards open, community-owned infrastructure for scholarly publishing, responding to persistent challenges faced by independent and institutional publishers navigating proprietary metadata systems and fragmented technical standards. By consolidating research from major initiatives, including the ongoing work within the Copim Community as well as now-completed European initiatives such as DIAMAS, CRAFT-OA, and PALOMERA, and the corresponding emergence of the journals-focused Diamond Open Access Standard (DOAS), the report outlines current policy landscapes, identifies key gaps, and proposes a harmonised approach to metadata for open access books.