The National Information Standards Organization (NISO) has published a revised version of the Transfer Code of Practice, releasing Version 5.0 as NISO RP-24-2026.
The Transfer Code of Practice is a NISO Recommended Practice designed to support continuing access to journals when titles move from one publisher to another. Compliance with the code helps publishers keep journal content accessible to librarians and readers during transfers while also reducing disruption to manuscript submission and production workflows.
According to the organization, the latest revision addresses community needs related to the transfer of open access titles and refines the language of the guidance to improve clarity for readers.
Alongside updating the code, the Transfer Standing Committee continues to maintain the Transfer Alerting Service, hosted by the ISSN Center, which supports communication about journal title transfers. According to NISO, more than 90 publishers have endorsed the Transfer Code of Practice since it was first established as a Recommended Practice in 2015.
Statements released with the announcement described the revision as a community effort involving representatives from major publishers, societies, university presses, libraries, consortia, databases, serials resources, and consultancy groups. The committee informed the updated code is intended to support the research community by helping ensure a seamless service when journals transfer between publishers.
NISO informed the code has become an important tool for maintaining user access to content when journals change hands and noted that the revision was shaped to reflect the evolving needs of readers, authors, librarians, and publishers.
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