The American Physical Society (APS) is introducing APS Open Science, a new open access journal designed to broaden recognition for high-quality physics research across all stages of discovery. With submissions opening in late February 2026, APS Open Science will provide a community-driven platform that supports open science practices while maintaining the rigorous review standards that define APS publications.
APS Open Science complements the existing APS portfolio by publishing technically valid and ethically compliant research spanning the full breadth of physics and adjacent fields. The journal will serve as a community-shaped venue for fundamental and applied research articles, theoretical and experimental studies, methodological and technical developments, data and software papers, replication and reproducibility studies, and negative or null results. Flexible article formats, rapid peer review, and efficient manuscript transfers from the Physical Review journals are designed to strengthen support for open science practices.
Guided by APS’ role in Purpose-Led Publishing, the journal incorporates standards that emphasize openness, transparency, and research integrity. APS Open Science applies the same scientific and ethical standards used across APS titles, reinforcing a consistent commitment to quality.
The launch includes article publication charge waivers for researchers in low- and lower-middle-income countries, along with introductory discounts for all authors. These measures build on APS’ longstanding waiver program to reduce barriers and support equitable participation in open access publishing.
An international editorial team will oversee the journal. Badreddine Assouar, Director of Research at the French National Center for Scientific Research and the University of Lorraine, serves as the inaugural chief editor. He will shape the journal’s scientific direction and peer review process, supported by Managing Editor Boyana Konforti. A global editorial advisory board of early and mid-career researchers will provide guidance on review practices, publishing standards, and open science practices.
All articles will be published under a CC BY 4.0 license, with DOIs registered via Crossref and immediate discoverability through major scholarly search engines. APS is pursuing inclusion in additional indexing services. Author guidelines and scope information will be available when submissions open in February. APS encourages community members to join the mailing list to contribute to the journal’s development through submissions and feedback.
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