The Ohio State University Libraries and the Health Sciences Library have entered into a three-year Unlimited Publishing Agreement with the Public Library of Science (PLOS), the Center for Research Libraries (CRL), and the NorthEast Research Libraries (NERL) to provide uncapped, no-fee publishing in all PLOS journals for corresponding authors affiliated with Ohio State upon article acceptance.
"The Ohio State University shares our commitment to building business models that will move researchers and journals toward a more equitable and barrier free form of publishing. We are excited that they are a part of a vanguard of institutions to pilot our community-driven models, which we hope will bring permanent change to scholarly publishing." -- Sara Rouhi, Director of Strategic Partnerships for PLOS
Details of the PLOS All-In Unlimited Publishing Agreement…
Beginning October 1, 2021, and continuing through December 31, 2024, the new PLOS agreement ensures publication fees for accepted manuscripts will be covered for Ohio State corresponding authors affiliated with Ohio State at the time of article acceptance. PLOS is a nonprofit, Open Access publisher empowering researchers to accelerate progress in science and medicine by leading a transformation in research communication. PLOS content is rigorously reported, peer reviewed, and immediately available without restrictions, promoting the widest readership and impact possible.
The publishing pilot covers uncapped, no-fee publishing for Ohio State corresponding authors in all PLOS journals: PLOS Biology, PLOS Climate, PLOS Complex Systems, PLOS Computational Biology, PLOS Digital Health, PLOS Genetics, PLOS Global Public Health, PLOS Medicine, PLOS Mental Health, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, PLOS ONE, PLOS Pathogens, PLOS Sustainability and Transformation, and PLOS Water. All published articles are immediately Open Access and are available globally to read at no charge.
Ohio State corresponding authors with articles accepted in PLOS journals between October 1, 2021 and December 31, 2024 are eligible to benefit from this agreement.
The All-In agreement covers unlimited publishing in all PLOS titles across existing and new PLOS business models that move beyond the APC to ensure more equitable and regionally appropriate ways to support Open Access publishing:
- PLOS Community Action Publishing (CAP) for PLOS Medicine, PLOS Biology, and PLOS Sustainability and Transformation.
- Flat Fees for PLOS ONE, PLOS Genetics, PLOS Computational Biology, PLOS Pathogens, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, PLOS Digital Health, PLOS Complex Systems, and PLOS Mental Health.
- PLOS Global Equity model for PLOS Water, PLOS Climate, and PLOS Global Public Health.
The Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) CAP agreement that began January 1, 2021 continues to cover PLOS Medicine and PLOS Biology for Ohio State authors and is rolled into the new All-In agreement.
I am an author at Ohio State. What do I need to do to benefit from this agreement?
For the six Flat Fee titles and the Global Equity titles, eligibility identification occurs at submission in Editorial Manager and authors have to indicate their institutional affiliation.
- Applies to PLOS Climate, PLOS Complex Systems, PLOS Computational Biology, PLOS Digital Health, PLOS Genetics, PLOS Global Public Health, PLOS Mental Health, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, PLOS ONE, PLOS Pathogens, and PLOS Water.
- During manuscript submission "Additional Information" and "Manuscript Data" both require correct institutional affiliation selections. Within the "Additional Information" page, scroll to "Publication Fees". Select the radio button, "My institution will fully or partially pay the fee …" then select "Ohio State University" from the drop-down menu. Navigate to the "Manuscript Data" section and go to "Authors" and then edit "Author list". Select an affiliation that includes the exact phrase "Ohio State University" from the "Institution" drop-down. Do not override the drop-down.
For the CAP journals, authors take no action until the paper is accepted.
- Applies to PLOS Medicine, PLOS Biology, and PLOS Sustainability and Transformation.
- Funding approvals are determined at acceptance via the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) RightsLink platform.
- At submission, authors are given a summary of publication fees and the option to view a "quote" of their expected fees. Should authors select "View Publication Fees" they will be redirected to a "Quote" from Copyright Clearance Center RightsLink that takes into account your agreement affiliation.
More information about the PLOS All-In Unlimited Publishing Agreement is available in the FAQ section.
Please contact us, TransformPublishing@osu.edu, with any questions about the PLOS All-In Unlimited Publishing Agreement.
PLOS All-In Unlimited Publishing Agreement FAQ
How does this agreement work?
Effective October 1, 2021, and continuing through December 31, 2024, the new PLOS agreement ensures publication fees for accepted manuscripts will be covered for Ohio State corresponding authors affiliated with Ohio State at time of acceptance in all PLOS titles during the three-year pilot. Author-paid APCs will be eliminated, and publishing fees will be covered by University Libraries and the Health Sciences Library.
Authors will retain copyright ownership of their work and all published content will be available under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license, meaning anyone is free to use and reuse the content provided the original source and authors are credited.
What journal titles are included in this agreement?
This pilot covers all PLOS journals: PLOS Biology, PLOS Climate, PLOS Complex Systems, PLOS Computational Biology, PLOS Digital Health, PLOS Genetics, PLOS Global Public Health, PLOS Medicine, PLOS Mental Health, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, PLOS ONE, PLOS Pathogens, PLOS Sustainability and Transformation, and PLOS Water.
When will Ohio State corresponding authors be able to benefit from this agreement?
Ohio State corresponding authors with articles accepted in PLOS journals between October 1, 2021 and December 31, 2024 are eligible to benefit from this agreement. Corresponding authors need to be affiliated with Ohio State when their article is accepted to be eligible.
Who is eligible to benefit from this agreement?
Corresponding authors affiliated with Ohio State upon acceptance of their article are eligible to have Open Access fees fully covered. When submitting, an Ohio State email address should be used, and The Ohio State University affiliation should be selected.
Are there costs for authors to publish in the CAP journals PLOS Medicine, PLOS Biology, and PLOS Sustainability and Transformation?
If an Ohio State author, or an author from a member institution (including participating BTAA institutions), is the corresponding author, there are no membership fees (APCs) to publish in PLOS Biology, PLOS Medicine, and PLOS Sustainability and Transformation during this pilot. If an Ohio State author, or an author from a member institution (including participating BTAA institutions), is not the corresponding author, but some or all of the contributing authors are members, there is a 25% discount on the non-member fee (APC).
How long will Ohio State authors be able to benefit from this agreement?
The new PLOS All-In Unlimited Publishing Agreement is a three-year pilot beginning October 1, 2021 and ending December 31, 2024.
How are articles published for Ohio State authors under this agreement?
All published articles are immediately Open Access available globally to read at no charge. Authors retain their copyright and articles are published under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.
Whom can I contact with questions?
For questions about the PLOS pilot, please contact us at TransformPublishing@osu.edu
Questions?
Please contact us, TransformPublishing@osu.edu, with any questions about the PLOS All-In Unlimited Publishing Agreement.
More Information about Transforming Scholarly Publishing @ Ohio State is available on the home page for our Transforming the Scholarly Publishing Economy Initiative.