ACS and Jisc partner to enable open access publishing for researchers across the UK

NISO Member News

WASHINGTON, April 29, 2022 — The Publications Division of the American Chemical Society (ACS) is proud to announce a landmark transitional agreement with the Jisc consortium that will serve researchers in the U.K. across all fields of chemistry.

The three-year agreement, which will last through 2024, provides the ability for all scientific articles published by researchers at U.K. universities and research institutes in ACS journals to be open access (OA) at no cost to the researcher.

“We are pleased to have reached an agreement with ACS that will enable U.K. researchers to access and publish OA in all ACS’ journals,” says Anna Vernon, Jisc’s head of portfolio, content licensing. “This new agreement extends OA publishing opportunities to more institutions, authors and publications and will enable U.K. researchers to share their findings more easily, aiding collaboration and accelerating new discoveries in chemistry and beyond.”

“We are delighted to partner with Jisc in this transformative agreement,” says James Milne, Ph.D., president, ACS Publications Division. “Scientists in the U.K. are performing world-class research and regularly publish their best work in ACS journals. This agreement will help them to easily and effectively communicate their discoveries to the global chemistry community in a way that is aligned to both funder and institutional requirements.”

Over the past several years, ACS has expanded its read and publish program significantly as it supports researchers in the transition to an OA future. Researchers at more than 400 institutions in more than 20 countries are covered under a read and publish agreement, resulting in a rapid growth of OA articles published by the Society. ACS is committed to continuously innovating new open science solutions to serve its growing author and reader community.

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS’ mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and all its people. The Society is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a leader in scientific information solutions, its CAS division partners with global innovators to accelerate breakthroughs by curating, connecting and analyzing the world’s scientific knowledge. ACS’ main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

Jisc’s vision is for the U.K. to be a world leader in technology for education and research. It owns and operates the super-fast national research and education network, Janet, with built-in cyber security protection. Jisc also provides technology solutions for members (colleges, universities and research centres) and customers (public sector bodies), helps members save time and money by negotiating sector-wide deals and provides advice and practical assistance on digital technology. Jisc is funded by the U.K. higher and further education and research funding bodies and member institutions.