Oxford University Press open-access cap reached for 2024: What you need to know

The news

The Dutch universities, including Maastricht University, have reached the 2024 cap for (prepaid) open-access publishing with Oxford University Press (OUP).

This update follows our previous announcement regarding Springer and Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) caps being reached. As with those publishers, authors can no longer publish their articles open access in OUP hybrid journals under the current agreement without incurring Article Processing Charges (APCs) for the remainder of the year.

Impact on Maastricht University researchers

This development is relevant to Maastricht University scholars planning to publish in OUP hybrid journals. The cap was set at 733 publications for 2024, and with this limit now reached, authors will need to explore alternative options for making their research openly accessible, similar to the situation with Springer and LWW.

Options for affected authors

If you’re a Maastricht University researcher affected by this change, you have several options:

1. Pay the APC: You can still publish open access in Springer or LWW journals by covering the APC (publishing costs are research costs). Consider using your research budget or exploring funding options from your department or external grants.
2. Delayed Open Access: Opt for a ‘closed access’ publication and utilise the Taverne Amendment to share your article publicly in the university’s institutional repository after a six-month embargo period.
3. Green Open Access: Self-archive your article’s Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM). This typically involves an embargo period, but you can assign a Creative Commons license to the AAM.
4. Alternative Open-Access Journals: Consider publishing in other open-access journals where Maastricht University still has active agreements or discounts, or select a Diamond Open-Access journal that does not charge an APC.

Planning for future publications

To avoid similar situations in the future:

• Submit manuscripts early in the year to take advantage of open-access agreements before caps are reached.
• Regularly check the Maastricht University Open Access Journal Browser for up-to-date information on agreement statuses and follow our news and updates.
• Consider budgeting for potential APCs in your research grants and project planning.

More information

Further reading and sources:

• Springer and LWW open access caps reached for 2024: What you need to know  
• Publishing deals and discounts  
• UM|MUMC+ Publishing & Open Access Portal

Support and contact:

• Please use our Ask Your Librarian service for prompt answers to concrete questions and issues.
• If you have questions, ideas, or feedback, please comment below or message us at openaccess@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
• Subscribe to our monthly Research Support Update to stay informed about changes and updates.
• You can also follow our updates, engage with us and discuss this topic with our UMployee group (intranet).
• We can discuss publishing and open-access-related topics during our weekly Open Access Publishing Hour.