Illinois State University's Milner Library has embarked on a pioneering collaboration with Sage Publications, ushering in a new era of accessibility and impact for the scholarly works of Illinois State University (ISU) authors. The agreement, set to take effect in January 2024, encompasses unlimited reading privileges for the ISU community and extends the opportunity for university-affiliated authors to publish open access without incurring article processing charges (APCs).
Since 2021, Milner Library has been actively pursuing agreements with esteemed scholarly publishers, aligning with its commitment to fostering an environment where research is not only accessible but also globally impactful. Under these agreements, members of the University community have had unrestricted access to articles in publisher journals, and now, with Sage Publications, they will also have the ability to publish their own articles as open access, free of charge.
Open access publication has emerged as a transformative approach to scholarly communication, facilitating wider dissemination of research and fostering global engagement. Articles published through these agreements are deposited in ISU ReD, the institutional repository, contributing to the growing pool of open access resources. The open access agreements directly impact ISU research by providing direct access to major publishing houses and enhancing the global visibility of university scholars' work.
The agreement with Sage Publications represents a substantial expansion in the array of resources available to the ISU community. It provides online access to all Sage subscription journals from 1999 to the present, increasing the number of accessible journals from 215 to an impressive 971. This wealth of content will soon be seamlessly integrated into library search platforms, facilitating streamlined access for ISU researchers.
The transformative agreement not only unlocks extensive reading privileges but also allows ISU corresponding authors to publish their articles open access in any Sage hybrid journal without incurring APCs. Importantly, this collaboration does not alter the peer-review and publication processes in any way. Upon acceptance, corresponding authors receive a notification informing them of the waived APC, reinforcing the commitment to supporting open access publishing at ISU.
This milestone collaboration between Milner Library and Sage Publications reflects a shared commitment to cultivating a culture of accessible and impactful research at Illinois State University.
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