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Editage partners with EurekAlert! to amplify global research impact

Editage announces a strategic partnership with EurekAlert!, the global leader in science news distribution, to offer enhanced research communication services to universities and researchers worldwide. Through this partnership, Editage will become an authorized reseller of EurekAlert!’s services in Japan, Korea, and China, facilitating the amplification of research impact.

Effective science communication is critical for application, impact, and accountability of scientific research and may result in substantial boost in research visibility, increased citation rates, and improved global rankings. This partnership addresses common challenges universities face in carrying out global science communication, including the absence of dedicated Public Information Officers (PIOs) and limited resources for timely press release distribution.

Editage can now offer universities, researchers, and scholarly publishers services akin to a remote Public Information Office (PIO), representing and submitting content to EurekAlert!, thus managing the entire research news dissemination process. This partnership also offers universities streamlined access to EurekAlert!’s powerful platform, significantly reducing onboarding and turnaround times for press release distribution.

Universities and researchers can also opt for additional services such as infographics, video summaries, and paper selection services to enhance the effectiveness of the press release.

Makoto Yuasa, Head of Marketing, Cactus Communications, stated, “In today’s fast-paced scientific landscape, effective communication is as crucial as research itself. This partnership between Editage and EurekAlert! represents a game-changing opportunity for research institutions worldwide. By combining Editage’s expertise in science communication with EurekAlert!’s unparalleled distribution network, we’re setting a new standard for global research visibility and impact.”

Brian Lin, Director of Editorial Content Strategy at EurekAlert!, said, “We’re excited about the potential of this partnership to increase access to our powerful and trusted platform and democratize global science communication. This alliance is more than just a service offering—it’s a catalyst to spark more scientific collaborations and progress. By enhancing the visibility of cutting-edge research from more areas of the scientific enterprise, we can accelerate the pace of discovery and foster a more connected global scientific community.”

The partnership offers enhanced global visibility, cost-effective solutions, and expertise in science communication. Universities can improve their global reputation and rankings through broader international exposure and scalable remote PIO services. Researchers can gain increased recognition, career advancement opportunities, multilingual support. Scholarly publishers can benefit from amplified impact, streamlined promotion, and global reach, with insights into engagement metrics.

By leveraging the combined expertise of Editage and EurekAlert!, this partnership will enhance the influence of scientific research globally.

New Books on Key Global Issues Published Open Access Through Collaborative Funding Pilot

First Year of Taylor & Francis’ Pledge to Open Initiative Supported by Large and Small Institutions Around the World

Twenty-six new books are being published open access (OA) at the end of the first year of Taylor & Francis’ collaborative funding pilot, Pledge to Open. Each OA title tackles a key global challenge, including climate change, mental health, women’s rights, populism, and racism.

Developed to provide a new equitable OA option, Pledge to Open enables new books to maximize their reach and impact without requiring authors to have funding to cover OA publishing charges.

The initiative was launched in July 2023, inviting institutions to support one or more of seven interdisciplinary themed collections. Taylor & Francis has announced that sufficient pledges have now been secured to enable 26 books to be published OA. These include new and forthcoming titles on ‘Innovation Pathways to Sustainability’, ‘State-Sponsored Disinformation Around the Globe’, and ‘Creating Empowering Environments for People with Dementia’. A full title list is available in the Pledge to Open section of the Taylor & Francis website.

Twenty-four institutions in North America, Australasia, and Europe pledged to at least one of the themed collections, with a majority supporting all seven. The list of Pledge to Open supportersincludes both large universities as well as smaller research institutions.

Nicola Parkin, Director of Books Editorial Services at Taylor & Francis, said: “We are very grateful to all the institutions who have made it possible to open up these books on crucial issues for our world, which will now be available for everyone to read online, download and share. We were especially encouraged by the number of smaller universities supporting this exciting diamond open access initiative.”

Taylor & Francis has confirmed that a second year of Pledge to Open will launch in September, with a refreshed model reflecting insights from the first year.

Emily Farrell, Global Commercial Director for Open Research at Taylor & Francis, explained: “In its first 12 months, Pledge to Open has already become a significant addition to Taylor & Francis’ range of open research options. We’ve also received a wealth of helpful feedback on the pilot, from supporters as well as organizations that couldn’t take part this time. With this guidance from our partners we will further develop the model so that more institutions are able to pledge in the year ahead and many more books on critical topics can be published OA.”

Elsevier and The Physiological Society launch new journals to advance nutrition and precision medicine

Partnership between The Physiological Society and Elsevier to Focus on Fast-Developing Areas of Research

The Physiological Society (TPS), a pre-eminent scientific learned society and Elsevier, a leading global scientific publisher, are delighted to announce a partnership to advance the physiological sciences. TPS and Elsevier are launching two new journals, focusing on the rapidly developing fields of nutritional physiology and precision medicine. These areas are expected to grow significantly and the new journals will position the partners at the cutting edge of these dynamic disciplines.

Nutritional physiology explores how nutrients from food interact with the body at the cellular and physiological levels. TPS has long supported the nutrition community through its journals and conferences, and this support will be further enhanced with the launch of The Journal of Nutritional Physiology. 

Precision medicine, a rapidly evolving field, allows for personalised treatments that improve outcomes and reduce side effects by targeting person-specific genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. The Journal of Precision Medicine: Health and Disease will cover a wide range of topics at the intersection of physiology and personalised healthcare. 

Building on the formidable reputations of both organisations, the two new journals will become essential platforms for researchers to share their pioneering research and insights. Elsevier has supported the research and healthcare communities to advance science and improve health outcomes for more than 140 years. TPS boasts a rich history of gold-standard publishing, including the renowned The Journal of Physiology and Experimental Physiology, as well as Physiological Reports, published in collaboration with the American Physiological Society. 

TPS and Elsevier will soon begin a search for the inaugural Editors-in-Chief for both journals. They plan to start welcoming submissions from the autumn, with the first papers to be published in early 2025. 

Announcing the partnership, TPS President Professor David Attwell said: 

“This partnership marks an exciting new chapter for The Physiological Society. For almost 150 years, we have been at the forefront of the life sciences, and these new journals in nutritional physiology and precision medicine demonstrate our continued leadership in groundbreaking areas of the physiological sciences.

“These new journals will augment The Physiological Society’s existing world-class publications portfolio, which features rigorous peer review. As these new journals will show, physiology is at the heart of innovative developments that are revolutionising our understanding of the human body, leading to enhanced health outcomes and improved population health.”

Louise Curtis, Senior Vice President of Life Sciences & Social Sciences at Elsevier, added:

“We are delighted to announce this new partnership with The Physiological Society. These new journals will disseminate impactful research and foster innovation in nutritional physiology and precision medicine, driving significant advances in understanding human health and improving lives, core to both the mission of The Physiological Society and Elsevier.”

Digital Science’s Catalyst Grant calls for innovations to safeguard research integrity

Digital Science is seeking innovative, technology-driven ideas to safeguard research integrity and support trust in science, as the focus of its Catalyst Grant round for 2024. Up to £25,000 will be awarded to individuals or startups for innovative technology ideaDigital Science is seeking innovative, technology-driven ideas to safeguard research integrity and support trust in science, as the focus of its Catalyst Grant round for 2024.

Launched with the campaign We Believe in… Research Integrity, this year’s Catalyst Grant round is driven by a need to address one of the most pressing issues faced by all research stakeholders, which impacts on the community’s trust in science.

The application deadline is 12:00pm BST / 7:00am EDT, Monday 14 October 2024.

Join the conversation on social media with: #CatalystGrant #ResearchIntegrity

Steve Scott, Director of Portfolio Development at Digital Science, says: “Now in its 14th year, the Digital Science Catalyst Grant supports innovation, cultivating early-stage software ideas and enabling them to come to fruition.

“This year’s focus on Research Integrity recognizes the very real issues facing researchers, academic institutions, publishers, governments, and funding bodies, and the need for improved public trust in research and its benefits for society.

“Our 2024 Catalyst Grant round is now looking for the best and most innovative uses of technology to support Research Integrity and Trust in Science,” he says.

Dr Leslie McIntosh, VP of Research Integrity at Digital Science, co-founded the company Ripeta, which was a 2017 winner of Catalyst Grant. Today, Ripeta’s ‘trust markers’ technology underpins Digital Science’s products Dimensions Research Integrity and Dimensions Research Security.

Dr McIntosh says: “Trust in research is the bedrock of healthy societies, and research integrity is a critical challenge in today‘s research ecosystem. Safeguarding this integrity is the responsibility of everyone involved in research – policymakers, corporations, publishers, institutions, and researchers alike. While we face philosophical issues in society, we urgently need tangible solutions. We must strengthen and reimagine research integrity to uphold trust in the face of recent changes in open science and technological advances.

“As a past winner of the Catalyst Grant, I’m excited the grant might unearth another outstanding technology that will help safeguard the integrity of the scholarly record,” she says.

PLOS renews publishing agreement with the Bibsam consortium in Sweden

PLOS is pleased to announce its renewal of an agreement with the Bibsam Consortium to participate in PLOS’ three innovative publishing models. This two-year agreement, effective on Jan 1, 2024, provides researchers from affiliated institutions with unlimited publishing privileges in PLOS journals without incurring fees. The new agreement covers authors throughout Sweden from more than 90 institutions.

The Bibsam consortium is operated by the National Library of Sweden and is supported by the research funders Swedish Research Council, Forte, Formas, and Vinnova that have all made a strategic decision on a funding model to support publication with publishers that exclusively publish fully open access journals.

PLOS institutional business models such as Community Action Publishing (CAP)[1] and Global Equity ensure more equitable and regionally appropriate ways to support Open Access publishing.

“The renewal of the Bibsam Consortium agreement demonstrates our commitment with institutions to collaborate and invest equitably in the advancement of Open Science,” said Roheena Anand, Executive Director of Global Publishing Development & Sales at PLOS.  “Bibsam shares our intention of building business models that will move researchers and journals toward a more equitable and barrier free form of publishing.”

Participating institutions include, Karolinska Institute, Linköping University, Linnaeus University, Mälardalen University, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm University, Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, University of Gothenburg, University of Gävle, Uppsala University, Lund University, Örebro University and 80 others.

The Bibsam Consortium is one of many institutions that have signed publishing agreements with PLOS, including the Big Ten Academic Alliance, the University of California system, Jisc (including University College London, Imperial College London, University of Manchester),  NorthEast Research Libraries (NERL) and the Center for Research Libraries, the Canadian Research Knowledge Network among others.

In 2021, the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP) honored PLOS as the co-winner for Innovation in Publishing for its Community Action Publishing model.

The Society for Scholarly Publishing Announces 2024 New Directions in Scholarly Publishing Seminar, “From Trends to Tactics: Shaping Scholarly Publishing’s Near Future”

The Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) is excited to announce our eighth annual New Directions in Scholarly Publishing seminar, which will be held October 1 and 2 at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Conference Center in Washington, DC, and online.

The scholarly communications and publishing industry is at a crossroads, navigating an era of rapid transformation and evolving challenges. This year’s seminar, “From Trends to Tactics: Shaping Scholarly Publishing’s Near Future,” will emphasize actionable insights and practical ideas to address the immediate realities of the industry over the next five years. The event will feature a rich program designed to explore today’s trends and their near-term impacts, bypassing speculative predictions for future generations.

Join us for this pivotal event to shape the future of scholarly publishing. Register now to secure your spot and contribute to meaningful conversations that will drive the industry forward. Space is limited for in-person attendance!

“The New Directions committee is hard at work curating an event that will leave attendees with actionable strategies and ideas they can put to work right away,” said Lettie Conrad, New Directions Working Group co-lead. “We expect this year’s seminar to be attended by diverse stakeholders in the scholarly communications process, from funders and researchers to content and service providers.”

The seminar will feature 9 sessions over one and a half days, and the panels will host a diverse range of publishing professionals, researchers, and service providers. Sessions will address:

  • New Paradigms in the Shift to Publishing-as-a-Service 
  • Consolidation, Competition, and Cooperation 
  • AI’s Impact on Scholarly Publishing
  • Changing Research Landscapes
  • Adapting Your Workforce 
  • The Publishing Experience from Researchers’ Perspective

Both in-person and virtual attendees will participate in interactive roundtable discussions. 

After New Directions, in-person attendees have the opportunity to enjoy a private tour of the Library of Congress’s Rare Book and Special Collections Room. Space is limited to 20 attendees, so sign up early!

New Directions Working Group co-lead Ginny Herbert praises the seminar, saying, “With its intimate setting and focused agenda, New Directions is uniquely positioned to foster organic discussions and new connections. I encourage colleagues across career stages and roles in the scholarly ecosystem to attend the seminar because of its unparalleled ability to spark fresh ideas through diverse perspectives.”

View the complete program and registration details. 

SSP has arranged a courtesy rate at the Churchill Hotel at a rate of $249/night + tax (15.95%). The hotel is located about a 5 minute walk from the AGU. The deadline to reserve the courtesy rate is August 16.

Early registration discounts are available through September 6. Bulk registration discounts are available for virtual attendees. All registered attendees will have access to session recordings for 90 days after the seminar’s conclusion. 

Whether you are an early-career professional or a seasoned veteran interested in learning more about the solutions to current challenges in our field, there is a seat for you at our seminar in person or online!

Thank you to our sponsors: Cadmore Media, Dimensions, and Silverchair. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available; contact Kristen Totaro at partnerships@sspnet.org for more information.

ResearchGate and Tsinghua University Press announce first Journal Home partnership from China region

ResearchGate, the professional network for researchers, and Tsinghua University Press (TUP), the leading university press in China, are delighted to announce a new Journal Home partnership that aims to increase the readership and visibility of TUP’s open access journals and research. The agreement is the first of its kind with a Chinese publisher.

The agreement covers five fully open-access journals published by TUP through their platform, SciOpen, including research published in Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Materials, and Construction. In total, more than 2,000 articles will now be widely accessible to ResearchGate’s community of over 25 million researcher members, boosting the global readership of this content, and growing the visibility of the journals with potential readers and authors.

Journal Home enhances the visibility of participating journals through dedicated journal profiles, which are activated and accessible throughout the ResearchGate platform including from all associated article pages. These provide valuable information for members including the journal’s aims and scope, metrics, and Editors,as well as content from the journals. 

Authors publishing in these journals will also benefit from having their articles automatically added to their user profiles on ResearchGate, providing them with valuable insights showing the impact of their work, and a new way to engage with international readers.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with China’s leading university press, delivering global reach and visibility for these journals,” said Sören Hofmayer, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at ResearchGate. “ResearchGate has now established almost 40 Journal Home partnerships, in every case finding that journals can boost readership and authorship through the enhanced visibility Journal Home brings. For TUP, there is a clear opportunity for their journals to attract new international readers and authors. I’m looking forward to seeing the results from the collaboration.” 

“TUP fosters the goals of Tsignhua University, facilitating global academic innovation through knowledge sharing. Reaching a wider international network through ResearchGate’s Journal Home is therefore a reflection of our mission,” said Lei Shi, the Director of Journal Publishing Center at TUP. “We’re looking forward to building engagement with our journals, and benefiting from ResearchGate’s unique network insights going forward.”

For more information about ResearchGate, please visit www.researchgate.net. 

For more information about TUP, please visit https://www.tsinghuajournals.com/en/home

With 44% of its published articles now open access (OA), Springer Nature’s approach to OA continues to deliver highest usage and impact for authors

For the third consecutive year, publicly available data shows that Springer Nature’s approach towards open access (OA) continues to deliver the highest impact for its authors and the research community:

  • Authors publishing OA with Springer Nature see their work used more with OA articles published in its journals receiving an average citation of 5.85, which is higher than other mixed model or pure OA publishers
  • Springer Nature’s transformative agreements (TAs) continue to have a substantial and sustained impact on increasing OA access and publication globally, delivering 7x more gold OA articles than authors choosing to publish OA in 2023 while not being part of a TA.
  • Springer Nature’s TAs are ensuring researchers from all disciplines can publish OA,with the highest yearly global uptake once again being seen by authors in the humanities and social sciences (HSS).
  • More people are reading authors’ content in Springer Nature journals and books year on year, with data showing an over 20% increase in downloads for OA book and journal content in 2023.
  • 44% of the publisher’s primary research is now published OA in its hybrid and fully OA journals, up from 38% in 2022.

The report also highlights key initiatives from Springer Nature in 2023 to support equity in OA. These include expansion of TAs into Africa and the Americas, waiving €26m of APCs in fully OA journals and enabling authors from low-income and low- and middle-income countries (LICs and LMICs) to publish in Nature and the Nature research journals at no cost. They also include publishing over 10,000 OA articles free of charge in 2023 in diamond OA journals and experimenting with new low-cost OA models. More details can be found here.

Chief Publishing Officer, Harsh Jegadeesan commented: 

“We are incredibly proud of the ways in which we are moving the dial for open access – via TAs, open research methods and via our fully OA journals. To accelerate the next phase of the transition, we’re investing strongly in technology and AI, with a particular focus on protecting the integrity and trust of research.  

“However, greater steps need to be taken to ensure equal access and equal representation in research. This remains a key commitment of ours, and a central focus of the report as we seek to further the discussion on how to ensure that the opportunities and benefits OA affords are available to all.”

Alongside the publisher’s Annual Progress Report and Sustainability Report, which also share data and strategy, this report is a key demonstration of the publisher’s commitment to transparency and accountability around its publishing programme for the communities it serves. 

The full report can be accessed here, alongside the previous report in 2023 and the fully OA report from 2022. 

More information on Springer Nature’s wider commitment to OA and our full OA offerings can be found here.

Achievements of the First DEAL Agreement Phase

In a new publication, the German-wide DEAL consortium presents the key achievements of its first contract phase with the publishers Wiley and Springer Nature. The newly published infographic brochure provides a comprehensive insight into the background, objectives and results of the DEAL initiative.

Since the start of the first contract phase in 2019, DEAL has made great progress in the area of open access publishing and the provision of scientific information to German institutions. The brochure provides detailed key figures and developments over the last four to five years to show how the DEAL contracts have successfully achieved the consortium’s objectives.

A particular focus is on the enormous increase in Open Access publications. Between 2019 and 2023, more than 105,000 publications from German scientific institutions were published under the DEAL agreements, 97 percent of which are Open Access. This remarkable success means that two-thirds of all research output from Germany is now freely accessible worldwide – a significant increase from the 30% before the DEAL initiative began.

The brochure also highlights how DEAL has expanded reading opportunities for participating institutions while reducing the overall cost of scientific publications. This is a major breakthrough in the face of ever-increasing expenditure on scientific journals.

With over 500 participating institutions, DEAL has become a strong community and an important infrastructure in the German academic and library landscape. The review of the first phase of the contract highlights not only its considerable achievements, but also DEAL’s contribution to promoting the visibility and reach of German research worldwide and to shaping a more sustainable scholarly publishing system.

The information brochure is now available online in German and English providing a valuable insight into the goals and impact of the DEAL agreements for all interested parties, from scientists and librarians to policy makers.

Download:

>> The First DEAL Agreements 2019-2023: Setting the Path for Open Access and Transparency

Wiley to Expand Reach and Impact of Medical Education Programs to More Than 2.8 million Healthcare Providers

Wiley, one of the world’s largest publishers and a trusted leader in research and learning, is taking steps to increase the impact of its medical education programs, including helping those programs reach a larger and more targeted audience of healthcare professionals. The goal of these measures is to improve learning opportunities and drive better patient outcomes. However, even with advancements in medical education, errors can still occur, affecting patient health and well-being. When facing such challenges, having strong legal representation is crucial. Trust Orange County medical malpractice attorneys to provide expert legal representation, ensuring your rights are protected throughout your case.

A chief measure involves Wiley expanding the reach of its medical education programs by more than 2.8 million healthcare providers thanks to a new relationship with Definitive Healthcare, a leading provider of healthcare commercial intelligence with one of the largest collections of audience data for registered healthcare professionals, hospitals, affiliations, and specializations.

Thanks in part to Wiley’s access to this new data, Wiley’s medical education programs will be accessible to new learners, as well as to more targeted market segments and very specific health communities who need to be in the know.

“Wiley’s medical education programs allow healthcare professionals to do their jobs better, giving them access to information on the latest scientific outcomes, diseases, and treatments,” said Harriet Jeckells, group vice president and general manager, audience solutions. “They come to Wiley for the depth, breadth, and trustworthiness of our content. Now that we’re leveraging data from Definitive Healthcare, these programs will reach not only more professionals, but also the right ones, helping to improve patient outcomes.”

Wiley offers validated, authoritative medical education content—including webinars, e-learning modules, online educational hubs, and conference hubs—to help healthcare professionals build knowledge and stay up to date on the latest advances in diagnosis and treatment. This, in turn, can help them make more informed decisions in important and potentially life-saving clinical situations.

Wiley’s Annual HCP Information Seeking Behavior survey shows a large majority (70%) of healthcare professionals seek out published medical-related information on a weekly basis to build their clinical knowledge. Continuing education helps those professionals maintain and improve their knowledge, skills, and performance, allowing them to keep up with the latest advancements in their fields. It also helps them maintain their license, advance their careers, learn about new products and build professional relationships.

Over the past two years, Wiley has also tightly aligned its medical programs to user needs based on surveys it conducted to better understand their content consumption behavior and preferences. Specifically, it has made the content more easily digestible and consumable for health care professionals. It has also added several new training courses.

In addition, Wiley has launched a revamped, user-friendly medical education training website that makes it easier for users to track their credits. Those credits allow users to validate the outcomes of the time they spend with these training programs.

Pricing framework to foster global equity in scholarly publishing

cOAlition S is pleased to announce the release of a new pricing framework designed to foster global equity in scholarly publishing. Developed by Information Power following consultation with the funder, library/consortium, and publisher communities, the framework is introduced to enable discussion, promote greater transparency and inspire publishers and other service providers to implement more equitable pricing across different economies. To support this, the framework provides users with guiding principles, data, information, and tools. The approach is adaptable, allowing publishers to implement changes gradually and in line with their specific circumstances. It can be applied to various pricing models, including article processing charges (APCs), subscriptions, and transformative agreements.

Global differentiated pricing that fosters equity is:

  • Part of a broader commitment to equity, inclusion, diversity, and belonging.
  • Aligned ideally with a single consistent approach developed in meaningful, open, and transparent consultation with the research community.
  • Relative to the context of each country, including income and purchasing power.
  • Communicated clearly, easy to understand, and transparent to all.
  • Transparently based on independent, open datasets that are regularly updated and that can be accessed, validated, and reused by everyone.
  • Based on shared risk. Customers and publishers should share currency risks.

Key features of the framework include:

  • Open, Transparent Data: Utilizing World Bank International Comparison Program data, reflecting each country’s income and ability to pay.
  • Banding: Grouping countries into bands eases administration.
  • Excel-Based Tool: Allowing publishers to explore and set their own bands and differential prices using the same transparent data.
  • Local Currencies: Issuing invoices in local currencies where possible.
  • Comprehensive Appendices: Detailed guidance on data sources, downloading World Bank datasets, and changes in country indices from 2017 to 2021.

“As project sponsors, we view this framework as a catalyst for discussion and evolving practices in more equitable open access publishing”, stated Johan Rooryck, Executive Director of cOAlition S. “We recognise that many stakeholders prefer a scholarly publication ecosystem without author-facing charges for open access publishing. But as long as APCs are part of the landscape, we strongly feel that open and transparent data should be used to calculate more equitable prices that reflect local purchasing power. While no single dataset or approach can satisfy all stakeholders, this thorough analysis provides a solid foundation for global discussions. We invite all stakeholders to engage with this framework to work towards a more equitable scholarly communication system”.

The framework’s development was supported by a dedicated steering group, bringing together diverse perspectives from across the scholarly publishing ecosystem. Colleen Campbell, OA2020 Coordinator and a member of the Steering Group, emphasised: “Addressing equity and inclusivity in scholarly publishing requires direct involvement from local communities. As a tool for exploring what regionally differential pricing might look like, the framework offers universities, research institutions, libraries, and consortia a valuable starting point in their open access negotiations with publishers and collaborative efforts to address financial barriers and foster a more equitable and inclusive environment.”

Springer Nature signs first Open Access Books Agreement in the Middle East with Qatar National Library

Springer Nature, a leader in open access books, has extended its partnership with Qatar National Library to deliver the Middle East’s first Open Access (OA) book agreement. The deal strengthens the partners’ shared OA vision to increase access to research and advance knowledge, following on from a joint Transformative Agreement in 2019. 

The new agreement enables authors1 affiliated with any institute of higher education or non-profit research institute within Qatar to receive funding for book processing charges (BPC) when publishing their book OA with Springer Nature. It marks the eighth2 OA book agreement for the publisher and its fourth institutional OA book agreement. With OA books being downloaded ten times more often, and cited 2.4 times3 more than non-OA books, this agreement signals a key step towards enabling researchers from participating institutions to reach a wider audience. The agreement covers all Springer Nature book imprints4 and will run for three years.

Speaking of the partnership Asdaa Kotani, Vice President Institutional Sales, said: 
“We have been supporting the research community in Qatar since 2012 and our partnership with the Qatar National Library dates back to the landmark signing of the Middle East’s first Transformative Agreement in 2019. We are thrilled to announce the signing of this OA book agreement that underscores our shared commitment to driving forward a sustainable open research environment. We see this partnership as a key step in broadening the reach and ensuring sustainability of OA publishing for books within the region, and across Springer Nature’s diverse portfolio of resources and solutions.” 

“Today marks a new milestone in the Library’s journey to further cement its role in preserving the nation’s and region’s heritage and enabling the people of Qatar to positively influence society by creating an exceptional environment for learning and discovery. Open access is at the heart of our mission to provide equal access to information and services, promote research, and advance knowledge exchange. As with the transformative agreement from 2019, the Qatar National Library consortium is now the first consortium in the Middle East to implement such an OA agreement. We are excited about the open access books agreement, and we hope this signals our goal of supporting more open access book publications in Qatar, especially in the humanities” said Dr Alwaleed Alkhaja, Head of Open Access and Copyright.

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