As the fall semester progresses, Rice University's Fondren Library is making significant strides to increase the visibility of Rice research and support open access publishing for its scholars.
Over the past academic year, Fondren Library has secured transformative publishing agreements with renowned publishers, including Cambridge University Press, the Company of Biologists, Institute of Physics Publishing, The Royal Society, and Sage Publishing. These agreements enable Rice-affiliated corresponding authors to publish their research in select journals with open access, eliminating publication fees.
Transformative agreements, also known as read-and-publish agreements, represent a shift in academic publishing. Unlike traditional models that restrict content to subscribers, these agreements allow readers to access scholarly articles at no cost. They bundle reading, access, and publishing fees, ensuring open access publishing is supported without additional financial barriers for authors.
Beyond transformative agreements, Fondren Library has demonstrated a broader commitment to open access scholarship through initiatives such as membership discounts, subvention grants for open access publications, and sponsorship of open access journals like Foucault Studies.
The library also manages the Rice Research Repository, a comprehensive platform showcasing a wide range of scholarly outputs from Rice, including articles, theses, dissertations, journals, and data. This platform strengthens the university’s efforts to share knowledge and advance research accessibility.
For more information on transformative agreements and open access initiatives, visit Rice University's open access guide or explore the Rice Research Repository at repository.rice.edu.
These developments reaffirm Fondren Library’s role in reducing barriers to academic publishing and enhancing the global reach of Rice University’s research.
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