Open access publisher Frontiers has marked a significant milestone with its first-ever consortium partnership in North America, teaming up with the esteemed University of California (UC). This ground-breaking one-year agreement not only solidifies Frontiers' commitment to open access but also pioneers a novel publishing partnership model, aiming to enhance access and equity in scholarly communication.
Under this innovative collaboration, UC and Frontiers will embark on a pioneering venture: UC will enjoy unrestricted publishing privileges in 20 designated Frontiers journals for an agreed-upon annual flat fee. The selection of eligible journals stems from Frontiers' Humanities and Social Sciences, as well as Sustainability domains, targeting disciplines that are often underrepresented and underfunded. This progressive initiative empowers UC-affiliated authors across all ten UC campuses, including the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), to publish without limitations and without incurring article processing charges (APCs).
For Frontiers, the partnership with UC not only strengthens their collaborative framework but also offers a pivotal platform to refine and develop their 'flat fee' partnership model.
Frontiers' trailblazing approach continues to expand horizons, with over 690 established partnerships worldwide, wherein institutions cover some or all publication fees. The introduction of the flat-fee model represents a natural progression, fostering transparency and streamlining administrative processes in the ever-evolving landscape of scholarly publishing.
This partnership between Frontiers and UC demonstrates the power of collaboration in shaping the future of open access publishing, as they collectively champion the dissemination of research for the greater good.
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