ACS Publications Announces New Open Science Resource Center

WASHINGTON, July 16, 2020 — In an ever-changing scholarly publishing environment, the American Chemical Society (ACS) Publications Division is deepening its commitment to open science and open access. Through a curated set of materials on its new open science resource center, ACS is leading the way for researchers to become active participants in this movement.

Researchers, librarians and administrators who visit this resource will find information on open science and open access publishing, will learn how to comply with funder requirements and will be able to search ACS’ open access agreements to find out if they are eligible to have article publishing charges (known as APCs) waived. These new tools will speed the transition to an open science future by effectively communicating how open access publishing works for ACS’ extensive community of authors.

“Scholarly publishing is changing rapidly, as new policies and funder mandates impact more researchers,” says James Milne, Ph.D., president, ACS Publications Division. “We are committed to leading the open science movement, and these new tools will help our world-class author community advance their own research while adapting to this fast-changing environment.”

In recent years, ACS has championed transformative “read and publish” agreements by forming close and effective relationships with hundreds of institutions around the world. This development has significantly helped facilitate a shift from a subscription-based journal model to one that more sustainably supports open access publishing. Such agreements assist authors, funders and institutions in meeting their goals of widespread open access publication, while ensuring researchers have access to critical ACS journal content. While these innovative agreements have resulted in more open access publication, many researchers have difficulty determining whether they may be eligible for fully-funded open access. Through the new ACS open science resource center, researchers can quickly search to determine whether their institution has signed a read and publish agreement enabling streamlined open access publication. At the same time, researchers can easily find step-by-step instructions on how to publish open access.

Researchers who aren’t covered under a read and publish agreement will also find valuable tools to better understand the intricacies of open access publication. They will learn how to more effectively introduce their research to new audiences, fulfill funder requirements and propel science forward. With information on pricing, licensing options and open access policies, the open science resource center gives researchers greater clarity on a complex subject.

“Making the publication process easier for researchers is crucial to our mission of advancing the chemistry enterprise,” says Milne. “We will continue to expand our open science initiatives to ensure that we meet the needs of the scientific community.”

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS’ mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people. The Society is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a specialist in scientific information solutions (including SciFinder® and STN®), its CAS division powers global research, discovery and innovation. ACS’ main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

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