Unlike the subscription model used historically by journals, the open access publication model is typically funded by authors who pay Article Processing Charges (APCs) to publish their work in a way that is accessible to everyone. APCs are often in the range of $1,000-3,000 which can make publishing open access out of reach for some authors.

In order to support authors affiliated with the OU Health Sciences community, the Bird Library has entered into contracts with Frontiers, BMJ Case Reports, the American Chemical Society, and other entities to negotiate reduced or entirely waived APCs when making your articles open access. Our Publication Support guide describes the agreements available and provides instructions for taking advantage of them, in addition to offering a variety of other publication tools and assistance.

These types of agreements are relatively new to authors, publishers, and libraries. As more publishers explore and implement these contracts, the Bird Library will continue to evaluate additional opportunities to provide our campus with financial assistance for APCs and other forms of publication support.