Author: Gali Halevi
Gali.halevi@scimago.es
Executive Summary
This report examines the transition from traditional subscription-based models (Big Deal subscriptions) to transformative open access agreements across seven countries in Europe, Latin America, and North America. The countries included in the analysis are Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and the United States. These transitions reflect a broader global shift towards open access to research, driven by national policies and mandates aimed at increasing access to scholarly outputs while also supporting the sustainability of the publishing ecosystem.
A common factor across all these countries is the influence of national open access policies and mandates, which have catalysed efforts to incorporate Article Processing Charges (APCs) into the overall research access model. These policies have created pathways for institutions to move away from expensive subscription fees toward models that allow for broader and more equitable access to scholarly publications.
The report also identifies a new and emerging model in the open access landscape—Pure Publish. This model builds on the Read and Publish approach common to many transformative agreements but takes it a step further by eliminating subscription fees altogether and moving towards fully open access. Although this model is still in development, it represents a new direction for scholarly publishing, and its impact will need to be closely monitored as negotiations progress and agreements become publicly available.
It is important to note that the agreements mentioned in this report serve as examples of the broader trends and transitions underway, but they are not exhaustive. The intention is to highlight key instances of progress and innovation, not to present a comprehensive list of all transformative agreements globally. Future research will be required to track the continued evolution of these models and the impact they have on both accesses to research and the financial sustainability of publishers.
As these transformations unfold, stakeholders must remain vigilant to the evolving landscape, particularly regarding the Pure Publish model, and consider how these changes might influence future agreements and publishing strategies.
