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How does MSU support open access publishing?

Table of Contents

MSU supports open access publishing projects, tools, and repositories

MSU Libraries supports several journals and e-book packages with the "Subscribe to Open" model

The "Subscribe to Open" model for open access publishing opens up entire collections of books or volumes of journals to the world with money paid by library "subscriptions". This model is more equitable in that it does not distinguish between authors/institutions who can pay and those who can't, but the opening up is done in bulk rather than by the individual article.  Note this list does not indicate any waivers for MSU author publishing fees with these particular publishers.  

Open Access Journal Publishing Agreements

The MSU Libraries has negotiated Read and Publish agreements that cover the article processing charges (APCs) for MSU corresponding authors to publish open access. Some are only for research articles, not review or other kinds of articles, but please check details. (Sometimes there will be other fees, such as for color images, that are not covered.)  

This list is comprehensive and kept up to date.  If a publisher is not listed on this page, there is no agreement or library funding for APCs with that publisher at this time.

Questions?  Refer to the FAQ or contact Susan Kendall, Head of Collection Strategies at the MSU Libraries, with any questions.

  • American Chemical Society (ACS).  MSU Corresponding authors can publish open access for no cost to them in ACS hybrid journals and many open access journals thanks to a Read and Publish agreement through the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services for 2024-2026.  Please see the link for instructions and for which journals are included.
  • Association of Computing Machinery (ACM)  .  The MSU Libraries has an agreement with ACM for unlimited open access publishing of research, review, and conference proceedings papers by MSU corresponding authors.  ACM is committed to transitioning to 100% open access by 2026.
  • Benjamins.  See John Benjamins Publishing (below)
  • Biochemical Society (Portland Press).  The BTAA has a three year Read and Publish agreement for 2024-2026 so that MSU corresponding authors may publish unlimited open access articles in all of their hybrid and gold open access journals.  
  • Bioscientifica/Society for Endocrinology journals.  The MSU Libraries has a Read and Publish agreement starting January 1, 2025 for MSU corresponding authors to publish unlimited open access articles in any of their hybrid and gold open access journals.
  • BMJ.  *Update: Due to budget cuts, we have had to discontinue this agreement as of December 31, 2025.  Authors should not submit articles to be published open access with BMJ unless they are prepared to pay the fees themselves.  Eligibility is decided at acceptance date, not submission.  Please get in touch with the MSU Libraries if you have concerns about an article already submitted prior to October 31, 2025.     
  • Canadian Science Publishing.  The MSU Libraries has an agreement for 2025-2027 that allows MSU corresponding authors to publish open access any article type in any CSP journal for no cost to them.
  • Cambridge University Press. The MSU Libraries (with the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services) has signed agreements for 2021-2023 and 2024-2026 so that MSU corresponding authors may publish research articles open access in over 370 Cambridge University Press (CUP) gold and hybrid journals for no cost to them.
  • Cogitatio Press. *Note: This agreement has not been renewed for 2026 and beyond.  
  • Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. From 2022-2024, and again 2025-2027, publication fees are waived for MSU corresponding authors publishing open access research articles in the journals Genes & Development, Genome Research, RNA, Learning & Memory, and Molecular Case Studies. This is limited funding used on a first come-first served basis. Once fees are used up for each year, normal publication fees will be charged with a 10% discount. Please check with the publisher about the status of the funds.
  • Company of Biologists The MSU Libraries has signed a Read and Publish agreement to cover open access publishing fees for an unlimited number of articles that are accepted for publication in all their journals by MSU corresponding authors during 2024-2026 (following an agreement for 2021-2023).
  • De Gruyter Publishing House. The MSU Libraries signed read-and-publish agreements with De Gruyter for 2020-2022 and 2023-2025, and a renewal is planned for 2026-2028.  The agreement covers open access publishing by MSU corresponding authors almost all of their gold and hybrid journals.  The few exceptions are journals that allow no open access publishing at all.
  • Future Science.  See Taylor & Francis (below)
  • IEEE.  MSU Libraries has an agreement that has prepaid the open access publishing fees in IEEE journals (not proceedings or other publications) for MSU corresponding authors, starting with articles submitted January 1, 2025.  
  • The International Journal of Developmental Biology.  MSU Libraries has a Read & Publish membership that allows MSU corresponding authors to publish open access for no cost to them.  
  • IOP (Institute of Physics). The Big Ten Academic Alliance has a Read and Publish agreement to cover unlimited open access publishing by MSU corresponding authors for eligible IOP journals (not including AAS) for 2023-2026.
  • IWA (International Water Association) The MSU Libraries has a Read and Publish agreement that allows MSU corresponding authors to publish open access at no cost to them in any IWA journal.  
  • John Benjamins Publishing.  The MSU Libraries has an agreement for 2025-2027 that allows MSU corresponding authors to publish research and review articles for no cost to them in any Benjamins journal.
  • Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. The MSU Libraries is a shareholder, which means all author charges to publish open access are waived.
  • Microbiology Society: As of January 1, 2022, the MSU Libraries has a transformative agreement in place to cover unlimited open access publishing for MSU corresponding authors in all the society's journals.
  • Oxford University Press: The MSU Libraries has an agreement for 2023-2025, renewed for 2026-2028, to cover unlimited open access publishing by MSU corresponding authors for research articles, review articles, case reports, or brief report articles in most hybrid and gold open access journals. The only exceptions are journals that have no open access publishing option.
  • PLOS: *Update:  Due to budget cuts, we have had to discontinue the PLOS membership after December 31, 2025.   Authors should not submit articles to PLOS journals unless they are prepared to pay the article fees themselves.  Eligibility is decided at acceptance date, not submission.  Please get in touch with the MSU Libraries if you have concerns about an article already submitted prior to September 3, 2025.     
  • Portland Press.  See Biochemical Society (above)
  • Royal Society of Chemistry.  MSU Libraries has an agreement with RSC for 2024-2026 for unlimited open access publishing of all articles types for MSU corresponding authors in both hybrid and gold OA journals.
  • Royal Society Publishing. MSU Libraries has an ongoing agreement with the Royal Society since 2023 to cover open access publishing by MSU corresponding authors for all article types in all their journals.
  • RSNA (Radiological Society of North America): MSU Libraries has an agreement for unlimited open access publishing through December 31, 2026 by MSU corresponding authors in all 5 RSNA journals for Original Research, Technical Developments, Erratum, and Data Resources articles.
  • SCOAP3/high energy physics: The MSU Libraries is a member of Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access Publishing in Particle Physics (SCOAP3). MSU authors can publish open access in 11 physics journals in the area of high energy physics at no cost. See FAQ on included journals
  • Springer Nature.  Starting on April 1, 2025, the BTAA has an open publishing agreement for 2025-December 31, 2026 which covers the open access publishing fees of MSU corresponding authors in hybrid Springer journals. (Hybrid journals are ones that have both a paywalled and open access publishing option).  Nature branded journals (ones that have “nature” in the title) and 100% open access journals (also called “gold” journals, like BioMed Central, or npj series) are not included in this deal.  
  • Taylor & Francis:  MSU Libraries has an agreement for open access publishing of research and review articles (see list of article types included and excluded) by MSU corresponding authors in both hybrid Open Select or gold open access journals from 2024-2026. This includes Dove Press journals. From 2025, also includes Expert Medicine (formerly Future Science) journals for all article types except drug evaluation articles and articles funded by pharma/biotech.  
  • Wiley: The Big Ten Academic Alliance has a Read & Publish agreement with Wiley to cover unlimited open access publishing in Wiley hybrid and gold open access journals for MSU corresponding authors for 2023-2025.  *Update January 5, 2025: The agreement has been extended through February 28, 2026, while BTAA negotiations are ongoing. A new agreement is still uncertain.  Eligibility for APC coverage in 100% open access journals is decided at submission date, but eligibility for APC coverage for hybrid journals is decided upon acceptance.  Authors should please take this into account.   

Open Access Journal Publishing Discounts

For the following publishers or journals, a discount is available to MSU authors because the MSU Libraries has paid a membership or maintains subscriptions. Please contact Susan Kendall at the MSU Libraries with any questions.

  • IGI Global.MSU’s Open Access Partnership with IGI Global offers MSU authors an automatic 5% discount on open access processing charges, applicable across all of their journals as well as book chapters.
  • PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States. The MSU Libraries has a site license, so MSU authors pay a discounted open access publishing fee.
  • Science Advances (AAAS). MSU authors receive a 15% discount to publish in the gold open access Science Advances journal because the MSU Libraries maintains subscriptions to the other 3 AAAS journals. MSU authors should provide the number 02526387 upon acceptance of their papers to have the discount applied.

Open access Scholarly Monograph Publishing Funding

  • IGI Global.MSU’s Open Access Partnership with IGI Global offers MSU authors an automatic 5% discount on open access processing charges for book chapters (as well as journal articles--see above).

The MSU Libraries is building and linking to open access and public domain collections