Royal Society Publishing has reached its target of becoming fully open access by 2026, marking the culmination of a 20‑year process that began with the launch of its first open access journal. The transition was achieved through a combination of Read & Publish agreements and the Subscribe to Open (S2O) model, which converted subscription journals to open access.
By the end of 2025, more than 70% of Royal Society journal content was published open access, supported by agreements with over 675 institutions worldwide, including a significant arrangement with the CAPES consortium in Brazil. Additional Open Access Membership agreements with more than 50 institutions provided discounted article processing charges, while the RSOAE scheme continued to support researchers in low‑ and middle‑income countries. Outreach activities and dedicated issues highlighting research from the Global South also contributed to engagement during the year.
Reflecting on 2025, Graham Anderson, Head of Sales & Marketing, noted that maintaining open access output above 70% laid the foundation for the full transition in 2026. He emphasized that library support for S2O demonstrated shared values around sustainability and access. Anderson also observed that librarians continued to highlight the importance of discoverability and metadata, even as publishing adapted to new technologies. He remarked that AI had become a major topic of discussion, particularly in relation to research integrity and usage statistics.
Royal Society Publishing has stated that it will monitor and report on the impact of the transition to full open access during 2026. Multi‑year agreements for S2O and Read & Publish are expected to provide a sustainable framework for the long‑term future of open access publishing.
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