Guest Post – When Is the Best Time to Secure Open Access Funding?
Editor’s Note: Today’s post was contributed by Marissa Massare of IGI Global Scientific Publishing. This post has been edited for accuracy, and the original publication can be found here.
While open access has revolutionized the way research is disseminated by making scholarly content freely accessible to a global audience, the transition to open access often comes with associated costs, primarily in the form of Article Processing Charges (APCs). Securing funding for APCs is of paramount importance when considering the submission of a research manuscript to an open access publication, such as any of the nearly 200 open access journals across Business & Management; Science, Technology & Medicine; and Education & Social Sciences in IGI Global Scientific Publishing’s Open Access Journal Program.
Introducing the APC
APCs cover the publication costs incurred during the publication process, including editorial services managed by complex manuscript management systems, such as IGI Global Scientific Publishing’s eEditorial Discovery, which requires continual maintenance and enhancements for smooth submission and peer review processes. Furthermore, IGI Global Scientific Publishing assigns a Development Editor to every submission received to support workflow and provide excellent, timely customer service. APCs also cover formatting, hosting, and distribution (on IGI Global Scientific Publishing’s website and InfoSci Platform, as well as other prominent open access platforms and repositories, including ResearchGate, CORE, Zendy, and more). This APC replaces the previous subscription costs as the content is fully and freely accessible immediately worldwide. Therefore, securing funding for APCs is crucial for both individual researchers and institutions, as it directly impacts the accessibility, visibility, and impact of the research.
Getting the Timing Right
But when should funding be secured during the OA manuscript submission process? It is best advised to have funding secured prior to submitting a manuscript to an open access publication, as the publication will immediately start going through the consideration process upon submission. At the same time, the APC payment, which is required to publish open access, will need to be paid. Securing funding prior to submission ensures the research is published in a timely manner, keeping it relevant and beneficial to other researchers utilizing it. Should funding not be secured until after acceptance, it could delay the publication timeline.
Navigating OA Funding
Funding for APCs can be obtained through various channels, including institutional grants, funding bodies/organizations, open access agreements, and other sources.
Find below common OA funding resources that provide additional information:
- Jisc’s open policy finder (previously Sherpa Juliet) is a searchable database of research funders’ OA policies.
- The Open Access Directory maintains a list of institutional funds for OA publishing.
- SPARC maintains a list of North American universities and university libraries with OA funds.
- Refer to IGI Global Scientific Publishing’s list of foundations and institutions that provide Open Access Funding Resources.
Securing funding for open access processing charges is a crucial step in the publication process. As the scholarly publishing landscape continues to evolve, embracing open access and securing the necessary funding for APCs are pivotal actions that researchers and institutions can take to maximize the impact of their work worldwide.
Leading the Open Access Initiative
IGI Global Scientific Publishing is one of the few publishers that have fully converted to open access for their journals, and researchers benefit from the publisher bringing their pedigree of over 37 years of traditional publishing. With this in mind, IGI Global Scientific Publishing proceeds with a very timely publishing process, with as little as 2-4 weeks from submission to final publication and distribution, ensuring authors can get their research more discoverable well before it can be considered outdated. As IGI Global Scientific Publishing commits to its mission of “publishing tomorrow’s research today,” upholding this timely and quality contribution to the academic community, it is not ideal for papers to be delayed for long periods of time due to non-payment of the APC. As mentioned, IGI Global Scientific Publishing’s rapid turnaround times ensure that research reaches its audience promptly. With increased discoverability through platforms such as ResearchGate and ScienceDirect, their journals receive elevated exposure, setting the stage for greater recognition within industry-leading indices, such as SCOPUS, Web of Science, Ei Compendex, INSPEC, and more.
By choosing one of IGI Global Scientific Publishing’s nearly 200 open access journals, researchers can join the 100,000+ authors who selected IGI Global Scientific Publishing to publish their research manuscripts in their Open Access Journal Program.
Discover open access articles about Open Access Publishing on the AGOSR database:
Getting Scientists Ready for Open Access
From Journal Selection to Open Access
