WSU Libraries Join PLoS Medicine, PLoS Biology Model for O. A. Publishing

The WSU Libraries have partnered with Public Library of Science’s Community Action Publishing (CAP) model, allowing WSU authors to publish open access articles accepted by PLoS Medicine and PLoS Biology journals without paying article processing charges (APCs).

More libraries and library consortia worldwide are contracting with publishers under such transformative agreements that shift pay structures from subscription-based reading to open access publishing. Under the CAP model, the cost of publishing is distributed more equitably among representative institutions based on the publication needs of both corresponding and contributing authors.

“This partnership enables WSU scholars to publish in these two high-impact journals without directly expending their hard-won grant funds,” said Joel Cummings, WSU Libraries’ head of collection development. “If WSU authors are able to take advantage of this opportunity, this membership will save WSU money and increase the amount of peer-reviewed scholarly literature that is accessible to everyone in the world online.”

CAP member institutions commit to a yearly flat fee, ensuring their researchers receive access to unlimited publishing opportunities in PLoS Medicine and PLoS Biology. Revenue exceeding the community targets goes back to members at renewal. Margins are capped so the more institutions join in this effort, the lower costs become for all.

For more information, please contact Cummings at jcummings@wsu.edu. See the guide for WSU open access publishing agreements to learn of agreements with such journal providers as the Association of Computing Machinery, BioMed Central, and Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access Publishing in Particle Physics.