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UC Open Access Publishing Discounts & OA Policies

UC and UCSD Publishing Discounts, Funds, and Pilots

The University of California has transformative open access publishing agreements and publishing discounts in place with a broad range of scholarly publishers, including a list of the world’s largest commercial journal publishers, as well as society, not-for-profit, and fully open access publishers. These agreements and discounts are in place to make it easier and more affordable for UC authors to publish open access by reducing the amount that authors are responsible for paying when publishing open.

  UC Publisher OA Agreements and Discounts

These publishing agreements differ but it is important to note that:
  • the corresponding author must be UC affiliated (you should always use your UCSD email when corresponding and choose UCSD as your affiliation)
  • the agreements are for a specific duration of time as we enter and leave negotiations
  • not all publication types or journals are covered
  • sometimes it’s just a discount and not full coverage
  • charges beyond the OA APC (such as page, color, overage) are the author(s) responsibility to pay

Article and/or book publication discounts listed below are available only to UC San Diego authors. 

Last updated December 2023.

Publisher

What is Included

OA Discount

Discount Based On

Notes

Make your articles OA without paying the APC?
Bioscientifica

Journal of Endocrinology

Journal of Molecular Endocrinology

Endocrine Related Cancer

Reproduction

 100% of APC UC San Diego Library local Transformative Agreement

 

 In effect starting in 2025 Yes
Cold Spring Harbor All journals approximately 50% off APC fees UC San Diego Library local Transformative Agreement In effect starting in 2023 No
John Benjamins All journals 100% of APC UC San Diego Library local Transformative Agreement In effect starting in 2024 Yes
Luminos All books 15% discount on the Title Publication Fee for UCSD faculty members Supporting membership (Garamond level) Currently in effect.  This discount is not covered directly by UC San Diego, it is a discount given by Luminos.  No
MDPI All MDPI journals 10% Institutional Open Access Program UCSD is a member of the program, but do not support MDPI financially.  Authors will be responsible for payments directly through MDPI. No
Microbiology Society All journals 100% of APC UC San Diego Library local Transformative Agreement In effect starting in 2023 Yes
BMJ Case Reports Only this publication None UC San Diego Institutional Fellowship

BMJ Case Reports requires an active fellowship to publish.  UCSD Library covers the full cost of publication fee for current UCSD affiliates.  It does NOT cover OA charges, which are in addition to the publication fee.  Please contact Karen Heskett for information about our institutional fellowship if preparing to publish.

BMJ Case Reports User Guide

 No

 

The UC Libraries offer a scoped, one-year pilot fund that covers the cost of open access for early career authors at participating UC campuses publishing in arts and humanities journals that are not otherwise covered by one of UC’s open access publishing agreements.

The goal of the pilot is to provide financial support to author communities that are underserved by existing funding sources for publishing open access, in particular: early career (pre-tenure) faculty, postdoctoral researchers, non-academic staff, graduate students, undergraduate students, and other non-tenured early career authors. Whether due to a lack of grant funding opportunities or current gaps in UC’s open access agreements, such authors are the least likely to be able to secure funds to publish open access.

The pilot covers the full costs of the open access publishing fees for authors who meet the fund’s eligibility requirements.

Due to limited funds available, coverage is limited to one article per author for the duration of the one-year pilot, November 2025-2026.

See the UC Libraries Arts & Humanities Open Access Fund webpage for more information, eligibility criteria, and the application procedure.