ResearchGate has launched a transformative Open Access Agreement Upgrade (OAAU) for its Journal Home product, designed to bridge the gap between publishers and researchers regarding open access funding opportunities. With this new feature, publishers can directly connect with eligible researchers to raise awareness and drive uptake of Open Access Agreements, also known as Transformative or Read & Publish Agreements.
Although more than 1,000 Open Access Agreements are active across 70+ countries, many researchers remain unaware of their eligibility. In a recent ResearchGate survey of over 2,000 researchers, nearly half (48%) indicated they were not familiar with these agreements. Even those who were aware often struggled to navigate eligibility and access funding.
The OAAU addresses this gap with features that enhance publisher outreach and streamline researcher engagement:
Targeted Reach: Utilizing ResearchGate’s institutional data, publishers can now more accurately connect with eligible researchers at specific institutions.
Contextual Education: Journal Home’s network functionality allows publishers to tailor Open Access Agreement messages to researchers engaging with relevant journals on ResearchGate.
Personalized Engagement: The OAAU supports continuous, individualized communication throughout the research journey, guiding researchers to open-access support at critical points.
Data-Driven Insights: Publishers receive analytics to track the effectiveness of their outreach, from readership to authorship, helping them measure impact at every stage.
Leading publishers like Wiley, Taylor & Francis, IOP Publishing, and others have already adopted the OAAU. Early results show over 90% of researchers within participating institutions are being reached within six months of implementation.
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