Cambridge University Press and Jisc Collections sign major UK Open Access deal

Cambridge University Press and the Jisc Collections have reached a progressive agreement, which will enable UK universities and colleges to make a sustainable transition to publishing more Open Access content in the publisher’s journals.

It is the latest in a series of initiatives from the Press as it moves to underscore its commitment to Open Research.

JISC Collections provides UK academic institutions with shared infrastructure and services and the three-year deal is designed to encourage those institutions to publish more Open Access content in Press journals.

It covers both the payment for institutions to access the Press’s journals and the Article Processing Charges their authors would normally pay to publish their work Open Access in those journals.

With UK institutions at different stages in the transition to Open Access, the deal has been drawn up to allow each institution to move at a pace which suits them.

Sales Development Manager at the Press, Adam Blow, said: ‘We've had a relationship with JISC Collections for many years so the transfer from a subscription to Open Access funding model makes sense on both sides. We've decided to create a period of steady transition to recognise the complexity of the varied funding models and drivers for publication that already exist, but also to make the transition affordable for all our customers.’

The agreement terms include options for institutions to begin the transition, with increases in Open Access publishing linked to a decrease in subscription spending. This should enable a steady transition towards a complete read-and-publish transformation which is affordable for institutions and recognises the complexity of the varied funding models and drivers for publication for authors in different areas of STM and HSS.

Adam said: ‘Customer feedback shows that flexibility is a top priority at the moment. UK institutions are at different stages on the Open Access roadmap so it's important for us to provide a pathway that gives all of them the opportunity to pursue Open Access in the way they feel is most appropriate.’

The deal follows other read and publish deals with the Bibsam consortium of Swedish higher education and research institutions in November and with the UKB consortium of Dutch university libraries in 2017.

Global Sales Director at the Press, Chris Bennett, said: ‘Cambridge University Press whole-heartedly supports the transition to a sustainable open future for journals publishing. We recognise the broad benefits of high-quality open research and we continue to encourage its growth.

Our philosophy has always been to maximise the exposure and reach of our journals content at affordable and sustainable prices and this will continue as we transition to Open Research. I am especially delighted that we have agreed terms with JISC that really incentivise change in the higher education system of which we ourselves are a part.’

Contacts: 

John Clare, Communications Manager

[email protected] 

Notes to editors: 

About Cambridge University Press: Cambridge University Press is part of the University of Cambridge. It furthers the University's mission by disseminating knowledge in the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence. Its extensive peer-reviewed publishing lists comprise 50,000 titles covering academic research and professional development, as well as school-level education and English language teaching. Playing a leading role in today's international marketplace, Cambridge University Press has more than 50 offices around the globe, and it distributes its products to nearly every country in the world. 

About Open Research at the Press: As the Open Research movement seeks to unlock the potential in academic research by making knowledge accessible to all; we believe that making Open Research work for our communities is crucial.  Our history, relationship with the University and not-for-profit status creates a strong position from which we can engage the community, invest in innovative solutions and play an important role in helping to shape Open Research as it evolves.