Open Access

UK academic publishers have long been proactive supporters of open access – ensuring that the published outputs of academic research are made available to the public as soon and as widely as possible.

Their work over the last decade has helped ensure that the UK offers one of the highest proportions of open access research content in the world. The percentage of articles published gold open access in the UK has risen steadily over the last decade, from 9% in 2012 to 56% in 2022 (Scopus data, 2023).

This success relies on support for publication routes that allow for immediate open access for the Version of Record (VOR), through Article and Book Processing Charges (APCs and BPCs) and transformative agreements (TAs). These are proven and cost-effective ways of supporting full open access in high-quality publications and support a diverse, world-leading academic publishing sector.

The UK leads globally in the number of articles covered by transformative agreements, growing from 20,000 in 2020 to almost 55,000 in 2023 (ESAC Initiative data, 2023), and transformative agreements are the key lever to achieving open access in the UK. Transformative agreements give many authors the opportunity to publish in journals of their choice and enable authors from disciplines that may not have the funding for open access – such as the arts, humanities and social sciences – to share their work as widely as possible.

Academic publishing is a vital part of the research cycle, ensuring that results are validated, presented effectively, discoverable and have greater overall impact. Our animation shows how academic publishers add value at different stages of the publishing process. Our recent Research Impact campaign also demonstrates how publishers help research reach further.

Publishers add value to the quality, integrity and accuracy of the UK’s research outputs and, at a time when the volume of untested and misleading “research” is higher than ever, it is vital that the critical role played by publishers is understood and championed by policymakers. 

Publishers are committed to delivering the open access agenda and continue to work with researchers, institutions, funders, and other stakeholders to continue the sustainable transition.