In a landmark move towards advancing open access publishing, the Swedish academic consortium Bibsam has inked a transformative agreement with open access publisher, Frontiers. This national deal will enable researchers affiliated with participating institutions across Sweden to publish their work in all Frontiers journals and partner society journals without any publication fees.
Under the terms of this collaborative agreement, Bibsam will make a single annual payment, jointly covered by four national funders, to Frontiers. This payment will cover all publishing fees for researchers from Bibsam-affiliated institutions, including universities, public agencies, and research institutes. Through this innovative partnership, researchers will have the unprecedented opportunity to publish an unlimited number of peer-reviewed articles across Frontiers' diverse range of journals, fostering greater dissemination of scientific knowledge and collaboration within the global research community.
The agreement, set to run as a year-long pilot throughout 2024, reflects the growing demand for simplicity, transparency, and frictionless publishing in the academic sector. It builds upon the momentum generated by a series of flat-fee deals over the past six months, including a three-year national agreement in Germany with the German National Library of Medicine consortium (ZB MED). Frontiers' commitment to eliminating author-facing article publishing charges has also been demonstrated through partnerships with institutions such as the University of California and the University of Kansas.
By adopting a transformed, single-payment model, this agreement aims to alleviate financial and administrative burdens on researchers, allowing them to focus on producing high-quality scientific content. Moreover, librarians can expect reduced operational costs and simplified budget management processes, further enhancing the efficiency of academic publishing workflows.
This agreement not only represents a significant stride towards open science but also underscores the collective efforts of institutions, funders, and publishers to revolutionize academic publishing for the benefit of researchers and society at large.
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