Ohio University Libraries, in collaboration with OhioLINK, the state-wide library consortium, has been actively working to make open access publishing more affordable for researchers.
Through OhioLINK’s ongoing transformative agreements with several prominent publishers—including Elsevier, Springer, Wiley, Cambridge, and IOP—Ohio University researchers now have greater access to affordable open access publishing options. Additionally, Ohio University Libraries has partnered with BioMed Central and SpringerOpen to offer a 15% discount on open-access journal fees for OHIO researchers.
Transformative agreements are designed to shift the traditional subscription-based model of scholarly publishing towards a more open and sustainable model. These agreements typically cover the costs of open access publishing, including the payment of article processing charges (APCs) for authors from participating institutions.
From January to July 2024, Ohio University Libraries confirmed that 47 articles from Ohio University researchers were published open access under these transformative agreements, resulting in a savings of $157,155 in APCs. This achievement, reached within just the first half of the year, highlights the impact of the transformative agreements on the affordability of open access publishing.
However, researchers should be aware that two of the publishers involved in the OhioLINK transformative agreements—Elsevier and Wiley—have reached their open publishing waiver limits for the year. Elsevier has reached its annual capacity, and Wiley has only 10% of its waiver allocation remaining. As a result, researchers interested in publishing in journals from these publishers may want to consider waiting until January 2025 to submit their work in order to benefit from the APC waivers.
In addition to negotiating transformative agreements, Ohio University Libraries and OhioLINK provide ongoing support to researchers regarding open access publishing. This includes guidance on open access journals, available funding opportunities, and compliance with funder mandates for open access.
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