Not-for-profit publisher makes big move toward open access science

Canadian Science Publishing (CSP)–a not-for-profit publisher of peer-reviewed STEM journals–is excited to announce a new transformative open access publishing agreement with the University of California (UC) that will offer unlimited open access publication for UC researchers publishing with its journals.

The transformative agreement is the first of its kind for a Canadian journal publisher and a pivotal first step for CSP and its international authors and readers. The Ottawa-based not-for-profit is exploring how to shift from subscription-based business models to models that make it easier and more affordable for researchers to publish their work open access.

“Access to peer-reviewed science has never been more important. As a not-for-profit navigating the switch from subscription to open access, we see transformative models as a sustainable way to open up the scientific literature,” says Suzanne Kettley, Chief Executive Officer at CSP.

The agreement will be implemented through UC’s

multi-payer model

, whereby university libraries share the cost of the open access fee, or article processing charge (APC), with authors. Under the cost sharing model, the UC libraries will automatically pay the first $1,000 of the APC for all UC authors on the nine participating campuses who choose to publish in a CSP journal. Authors will be asked to pay the remainder if they have research funds available to do so. Authors who do not have research funds available can request full funding of the APC from the libraries, ensuring that lack of research funds does not present a barrier for UC authors who wish to publish open access in CSP journals.

“Cost sharing between academic libraries and funders ensures researchers have an affordable option to disseminate their science in an open format,” says Kettley of the multi-payer model.

By combining funding from the libraries with authors’ grant funds, the agreement provides a model for how institutions that produce a significant amount of grant-funded research can create a sustainable and inclusive path to full open access.

CSP, a mission-driven organization, and UC, a public university, share a commitment to supporting researchers who wish to make their research freely and openly available for anyone to read.

“More and more, researchers want their work to be available to anyone, anywhere. Conversations and collaborations with libraries help make this goal, this vision, a reality,” says Michael Donaldson, Open Access Program Manager at CSP. “We are thrilled to partner with UC on this exciting initiative. We look forward to engaging with the UC research community and providing them with new opportunities to publish open access, ensuring their research can be read and used freely.”

“With our shared vision of a future where science and scholarship are openly available to all, UC is delighted to partner with Canadian Science Publishing on an open access agreement,” says Ivy Anderson, associate executive director of UC’s California Digital Library. “We also want to encourage a diverse and equitable publishing ecosystem in which mission-based publishers can thrive, and very much appreciate CSP’s willingness to implement UC’s shared funding model in their first open access agreement in the US in a joint effort toward building sustainable open access models. The agreement is UC’s first with a publisher in Canada and is an example of UC’s interest in developing transformative agreements with publishers of every scale and across all disciplines.”

Despite its modest size–CSP owns and publishes 24 journals–the publisher is committed to a grand vision of open access science.

In 2016, CSP launched


FACETS


, Canada’s first and only multidisciplinary open access science journal. In 2019, CSP established a national Open Science Working Group bringing together stakeholders from academia, government, and industry to discuss Canada’s place in the global open science movement. Moving forward, CSP is

exploring different models

to pilot to continue its transition to open access.

For CSP and UC, conversations centered around shared philosophies about open access. Both publisher and university see open access as a key component of the future of publishing and are working to do their part to transition from paywalled to open access research. UC has committed to a

full and sustainable open access transition

.

“Science advances because of initiatives likes this, because of libraries and other institutions dedicated to changing, for the better, how people discover science,” adds Donaldson. “We look forward to continuing to build these essential partnerships with other like-minded organizations who are working toward an open access future.”

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About Canadian Science Publishing

Canadian Science Publishing (CSP) is Canada’s independent, not-for-profit leader in mobilizing science, making sure it is easy to discover, use, and share. Featuring content from a global community of researchers, CSP publishes 24 peer-reviewed scientific journals covering the spectrum of natural and physical sciences and engineering.

For information about CSP’s open access program, please contact Michael Donaldson at

[email protected]

or visit

https:/

open-access

.

About the University of California Libraries and the California Digital Library

Individually and collectively, the University of California libraries provide access to the world’s knowledge for the UC campuses and the communities they serve, directly supporting UC’s missions of teaching, research, and public service. The California Digital Library, situated within the UC Office of the President, provides transformative digital library services that amplify the impact of the libraries, scholarship, and resources of the University of California.

About Open Access at the University of California

Open access publishing supports the

mission

of the University of California by transmitting knowledge more broadly and facilitating new discoveries that build on the university’s research and scholarly work. In 2013 the systemwide faculty Academic Senate endorsed an

Open Access Policy

that affirmed its commitment to “disseminating its research and scholarship as widely as possible.”

Learn more about open access at UC.