Society publisher IOP Publishing (IOPP) and the University of Texas System (UT System), one of the largest public university systems in the US, have forged a ground-breaking three-year transformative agreement (TA) to propel open access (OA) in North American research. This strategic collaboration between IOPP and the UT System facilitates unlimited open access publication for affiliated researchers, covering the costs associated with publishing in IOPP's journals and its partner journals. Such transformative agreements are instrumental in aligning with the policy set forth by The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to make publicly funded research openly accessible upon publication.
The TA not only champions the principles of open science but also serves as a catalyst for extending the readership and enhancing the visibility of research conducted by authors affiliated with all 14 institutions within the UT System. Citing IOPP's user data, it is evident that OA content experiences an 80% increase in downloads and a 30% increase in citations compared to content behind paywalls. These statistics underscore the substantial benefits of embracing open access as a publishing avenue.
Among the nearly 300 North American institutions participating in IOPP TAs, many have observed remarkable surges in their OA output. In 2023 alone, researchers associated with the Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN) have contributed nearly 170% more OA articles, while the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) has seen a remarkable upswing of almost 190% in comparison to the corresponding period last year.
For researchers in the United States keen on contributing to the open access movement, detailed information about publishing open access is available on IOP Publishing's dedicated support page: https://publishingsupport.iopscience.iop.org/questions/researchers-from-the-united-states/.
As IOPP and the UT System combine forces to promote open access, their partnership stands as a testament to the transformative power of collaboration in reshaping the landscape of scholarly publishing.
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