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The open access publishing world is still relatively new, and so there are many different models being implemented to cover publishing costs while still providing open access to high quality academic research. NYU, like many other institutions around the world, is still learning which models are the most sustainable and equitable. The main goal of these deals is to remove barriers to both publishing and reading these articles, by moving away from a toll access model where readers have to pay or have access to an institutional subscription in order to read the articles. One common method that publishers use to fund open access is to charge the author a significant article processing charge (APC) to cover the publishing costs. Many people agree that this method is inequitable, as not all authors have access to the same funding and resources. Below are some of the most common types of open access publishing deals that are intended to move away from the individual APC payment model.
The most common type of open access publishing deal for publishers who have historically not been 100% open access is a Read and Publish deal. When NYU makes a Read and Publish deal with a publisher, that means that NYU-affiliated researchers can publish their articles open access with that publisher at no cost to them. In exchange, NYU will continue to pay a fee to support open access publishing and maintain reading access to any toll access publications. This exchange between publishers and institutions like NYU provides funding for open access publishing with established journals that our researchers know and trust.
Read and publish deals are the most popular type of open access deal with publishers, sometimes also called transformative agreements. Transformative agreements are a broad group of negotiated deals between publishers and institutions like NYU that attempt to “transform” the subscription fees for toll access journals or books into fees that fund and support open access publishing. The goal is to expand access to research at smaller institutions that cannot afford to subscribe to every database or journal available, as well as to unaffiliated researchers who don’t have access through a university. These new models are ways of moving towards 100% open access publishing in academia, while still ensuring that publishers can cover their costs. However, authors not covered under an institution's Read and Publish deal will likely still have to pay an APC, which can reinforce the already-existing inequities in the scholarly publishing landscape.
Because transformative agreements are meant as a transitional step towards a fully open access academic publishing world, cOAlition S has announced that their members will no longer fund publishing through transformative models after December 31, 2024. To learn more, you can read their press release. NYU Libraries’ Collection Development department evaluates a publisher's commitment to transitioning to a fully open access model as an important factor when considering all read and publish agreements.
This type of deal is similar to a Read and Publish deal, but institutions only pay the costs of publishing, while reading access is included for free. This is important especially in deals negotiated within a library consortium, because it means that institutions that publish less (smaller colleges and research institutions) will pay less but maintain reading access, while large research universities will pay more because they publish more articles and monographs.
Some publishers are 100% open access, and so do not charge a subscription fee to anyone to read their publications. Instead, they cover publication costs by charging an article processing charge (APC) to authors. When NYU negotiates an APC Coverage deal, we agree to pay a fee to the publisher upfront so that NYU researchers do not have to pay individual APCs to publish their article with that publisher. Through these deals, we support 100% open access publishers while also pushing them to change their model away from individually funded APCs, which can be highly inequitable.
With this method, many institutions agree to support the publication of open access work by contributing a certain amount to a fund that will cover the costs of publication, basically continuing to pay the subscription fee for their content that they had when the publisher published non-open access research. As more institutions commit to supporting the project, the price for each individual institution decreases, making it more accessible for other institutions to participate. Additionally, institutions are encouraged to maintain their subscription because if the funding is not enough for open access publishing, the journals or books will revert back to toll access.
Some institutions offer a pool of money that authors can use to directly pay APCs, rather than negotiating specific deals with publishers. This can offer a lot of flexibility for authors and institutions, but funds can run out, institutions might need to create and review an application to adjudicate requests for funds, and this method does not move academic publishing away from the APC system. In order to invest further in more equitable open access publishing models that do not rely on APCS, including innovative researcher-owned and operated publishing infrastructure, NYU does not have an APC fund within the libraries.