FAQs for authors | FAQs for readers | FAQs for librarians | FAQs for society members | FAQs for editorial board members | FAQs for publishing partners 

What is open access?

Open access (OA) refers to making scholarly research freely available online for others to read. Typically, open access also allows readers to redistribute, re-use and adapt content in new works. Our open access programme serves authors and the wider community by publishing high quality, peer-reviewed content under a variety of Creative Commons (CC) licences; this is known as Gold Open Access. Most journals published by Cambridge already give authors the option of publishing their articles Gold OA within the journal.

What is a journal flip?

We use "flip" to describe the point at which a journal transitions to an open access publishing model. A growing number of our journals are adopting a publishing model where all new content published in the journal must be published Gold OA, with no new material behind a paywall; we refer to journals using this publishing model as fully Gold OA.

For some journals, we are introducing a policy that all content classified as research content must be published Gold OA, but authors may continue to publish other content types (e.g. Book Reviews) without making it Gold OA. We refer to this publishing model as Research Open. Article types that are classified as research content comprise Research Articles, Review Articles, Rapid Communications, Brief Reports, and Case Reports, although different journals may have different names for these article types. Full list of research content types.

See our open access glossary for more information about terms used in open access publishing.

Do I have to pay to publish Gold Open Access?

The costs of publishing Gold Open Access can be covered in a number of ways. In some cases they may be covered by an article processing charge (APC), which will typically be paid by your funding body or academic institution. However multiple other funding routes for Gold OA are available, including open access agreements made between Cambridge and institutions, as well as APC waivers and discounts.

For full details of a particular journal’s funding options for Gold Open Access, please navigate to the ‘Information’ section of its homepage, and look under ‘Journal policies’ for ‘Open access options’.

What is an article processing charge (APC)?

Article processing charges are fees paid to support Gold Open Access in cases where the costs of publication are not covered by other routes, such as institutional open access agreements or equity initiatives. The cost of an APC can be covered in various ways, including by funding bodies, institutions, and sometimes by the author. APCs are often waived for authors who do not have access to grant or institutional funding, to ensure that they do not present a barrier to publication.

Any payment request for an APC is only made after an article has been accepted for publication, and APCs are only applicable for content that is published Gold OA. In other cases, no APC is required.

How much is the article processing charge (APC)?

Cambridge’s standard APC for 2023 is £2,110 / US $3,255 (plus any applicable taxes). Some of our journals charge lower APCs – or do not charge APCs at all – often as part of a specific arrangement with a publishing partner, or because they benefit from a fund or subsidy provided by a third party.

You can download our full list of APCs from our central APC page, or check an individual journal’s APC by navigating to the ‘Information’ section of its homepage, and looking under ‘Author instructions’ for ‘Fees and pricing’.

How can authors obtain funding to pay for an article processing charge (APC)? Are discounts or waivers available?

Please refer to Cambridge’s guidance on routes to covering open access publication costs for full details of APC funding options, waivers, and discounts.

For full details of a particular journal’s funding options for Gold Open Access, please navigate to the ‘Information’ section of its homepage, and look under ‘Journal policies’ for ‘Open access options’.

Am I eligible for a discounted article processing charge (APC), as a member of the society in whose journal I wish to publish?

As a member, you may be eligible for an APC discount. You can check whether this is the case by downloading our full list of APCs from our Gold Open Access in journals page. Further details may be found by navigating to the journal’s ‘Information’ section and looking under ‘Journal policies’ for ‘Open access options’ – or by referring directly to your society.

Why do different journals announce that they will start requiring Gold OA publication at different times of year?

The date on which a journal converts (or ‘flips’) to a policy requiring Gold OA for newly accepted and submitted manuscripts is determined on a journal-by-journal basis. It is influenced by how much non-Gold OA content the journal has already accepted for publication, as this will need to be published into the journal’s final non-Gold OA Volume. The more content already accepted for this final Volume, the earlier in the year a journal will ‘flip’ to its new Gold OA publication requirements for new articles being accepted for publication.

What is the process for articles submitted after the date on which the journal ‘flips’ to its new Gold OA requirements?

Articles should be submitted in the usual way via our online submission system and will undergo rigorous peer review and, if accepted, will be published in the normal way. All that will change is that manuscripts submitted to the journal after its ‘flip’ date may be required to be published as Gold OA. This means they may require an APC after they have been accepted for publication. See above for information about the various funding options and waiver arrangements available for APCs that ensure they do not create a barrier to publication for any author.

Most journals ‘flip’ to a policy that requires all content to be published as Gold OA. For some journals this requirement only applies to research content, and authors may continue to publish other kinds of content without making it Gold OA. Article types that are classified as research content comprise Research Articles, Review Articles, Rapid Communications, Brief Reports and Case Reports, although different journals may have different names for these article types. Content not considered research content includes, for example, Book Reviews. Full list of research content types.

What is the process for articles already in peer review on the date the journal ‘flips’ to its new Gold OA requirements?

If your article is already undergoing peer review on this ‘flip’ date, or if you have submitted your manuscript prior to this ‘flip’ date, then if accepted, your article may go on to be published in the journal’s first Gold OA Volume. In these cases, an APC will not be required for the article to be published Gold OA. There will be no change to the peer review process or the publication process for your article as a result of the journal converting to its new policy on Gold OA.

Most journals ‘flip’ to a policy that requires all content to be published as Gold OA. For some journals this requirement only applies to research content, and authors may continue to publish other kinds of content without making it Gold OA. Article types that are classified as research content comprise Research Articles, Review Articles, Rapid Communications, Brief Reports and Case Reports, although different journals may have different names for these article types. Content not considered research content includes for example, Book Reviews. Full list of research content types.

What is the process for articles accepted for publication, but not yet published, on the date the journal ‘flips’ to its new Gold OA requirements?

If your article has already been accepted for publication on this ‘flip’ date, your article will either be published in the journal’s final non-Gold OA Volume, or in the first Gold OA Volume. You do not have to take any additional action. If necessary, we will contact you to discuss a licence change for your article, but no article processing charge (APC) will be required if your article is to be published in Gold OA.

Most journals ‘flip’ to a policy that requires all content to be published as Gold OA. For some journals this requirement only applies to research content, and authors may continue to publish other kinds of content without making it Gold OA. Article types that are classified as research content comprise Research Articles, Review Articles, Rapid Communications, Brief Reports and Case Reports, although different journals may have different names for these article types. Content not considered research content includes for example Book Reviews. Full list of research content types.

What is the process for articles published on FirstView, but not yet in an issue, on the date on which the journal flips to its new Gold OA requirements?

If your article has already been published on FirstView but has not yet been included in an issue on this ‘flip’ date, your article will either be published in the journal’s final non-Gold OA Volume, or into the first Gold OA Volume. You do not have to take any additional action. If necessary, we will contact you to discuss a licence change for your article, but no article processing charge (APC) will be required if your article is to be converted to Gold OA.

Most journals ‘flip’ to a policy that requires all content to be published as Gold OA. For some journals this requirement only applies to research content, and authors may continue to publish other kinds of content without making it Gold OA. Article types that are classified as research content comprise Research Articles, Review Articles, Rapid Communications, Brief Reports and Case Reports, although different journals may have different names for these article types. Content not considered research content includes for example Book Reviews. Full list of research content types.

Will the journal’s new Gold OA requirements impact how quickly my article is published?

There will be no change to the process by which the article gets published. Articles should be submitted in the usual way, following the journal-specific author instructions that can be found via the ‘Information’ section of the journal’s homepage. The article will undergo rigorous peer review. As an author, you can help influence the speed of publication by responding promptly to communications about your article during the production process.

What copyright and re-use terms can I apply to a Gold OA article?

For content that is to be published Gold OA, we offer authors a choice of Creative Commons licences that they can apply to their work, which allows free access to and redistribution of the content, and in many cases also allow re-use in new or derivative works. Note that authors might be required or advised by their funders to choose particular CC licences, such as CC-BY or CC-BY-ND, when publishing their research as Gold OA. For more information see our guidance on CC licences.

Note that some journals require all content to be published as Gold OA, while for others this requirement only applies to research content, and authors may continue to publish other kinds of content (e.g. Book Reviews) without making it Gold OA. For information about the licensing, copyright, and re-use options a journal offers for content that is not published Gold OA, please navigate to the ‘Information’ section of its homepage and look under ‘Author instructions’ for the ‘Publishing agreement’ page.

Will I still be able to order offprints from journals that have flipped?

We do not offer offprints on journals that have flipped. However, you will receive a link to your article online which you can share with others. If your article is not Gold OA, you may be able to use Cambridge Core Share to share the full text of your article widely. If your article is Gold OA, you will be able to share the PDF of your final article in accordance with the terms of the Creative Commons licence you have chosen.

Will publishing Gold OA affect the readership of my article?

Publishing Gold OA means that the content is freely available online immediately upon publication, increasing the visibility and exposure of your article. It also means your article can be shared with readers globally without anyone having to pay to access it, expanding the accessibility of your article.

How can I access Gold OA journal articles?

Anyone with internet access anywhere in the world can read Gold OA content without having to pay for a subscription.

How can I access journal articles that are not Gold OA?

These articles can be accessed via a subscription to the journal or, for access to individual articles, via pay-per-view. If you are affiliated with an institution, you can also check whether your library can provide access to the article(s) you are interested in. See our Cambridge Core FAQs for more information about accessing content online.

What are the benefits to readers of a journal publishing Gold OA content?

Gold Open Access publication allows anyone to freely read, download and share content. Depending on the Creative Commons (CC) licence type applied to an article, readers may also be able to re-use and adapt the content in new works. For more information see our guidance on CC licences, and our information about the benefits of accessing content on Cambridge Core.

What happens to archive content access when a journal adopts a policy requiring Gold OA publication?

Most journals that convert (or ‘flip’) to a policy requiring Gold OA will not retrospectively change archive content access, with paywalled content remaining as such. If you are affiliated with an institution and wish to access archive content that is not Gold OA, you can check whether your library can provide access to the archive. You can also purchase access to an individual article or issue via pay-per-view. See our Cambridge Core FAQs for more information.

How do I know if an article is Gold Open Access?

Each Gold OA article is clearly labeled with an open access symbol (an orange padlock with a dot inside) in the online table of contents for each issue of the journal and the article landing page.

What are Cambridge’s open access publishing models?

We have two open access publishing models, which we refer to as 'fully Gold OA' (or ‘Gold OA’ as you will see it listed in pricelists), and ‘Research Open’.

Journals adopting a fully Gold publishing model will require all future articles to be published as Gold Open Access with a Creative Commons licence.

Journals adopting a Research Open publishing model will require all research content to be published as Gold OA. Research content comprises Research Articles, Review Articles, Rapid Communications, Brief Reports and Case Reports. For other kinds of content (e.g. Book Reviews) authors will have the option to publish Gold OA but this will not be required. Content that is not published as Gold OA will remain behind a paywall, and subscriptions will continue to be sold for that content.

Will we be notified of which journals are going to flip to an open access publishing model?

The pricelist and associated agent communications will clearly state which journals are flipping to become fully Gold OA or Research Open for the coming year. A notification is also included in subscription renewal documentation.

Individual journal homepages will also announce when a journal flips, and we will include notifications in librarian communications, such as the Librarian Newsletter and via listservs, and via relevant social media channels.

Notification of flips to open access publishing models will also be included in our end-of-year email to agents.

What will happen to my subscription when a journal flips to an open access publishing model?

When a journal flips to become fully Gold OA, all content published in the first Gold OA Volume and thereafter will be freely accessible to all online, so a subscription will no longer be required to access new content. You will be notified during the subscription renewals process, and you will not have to pay a subscription renewal from the point a journal flips to this model. You will not have to do anything to cancel your subscription as we will automatically remove the journal from your subscription renewals.

Back content will remain behind a paywall, so your subscriptions to previous years will ensure you retain perpetual access to the years to which you subscribed.

For journals flipping to Research Open, we will continue to sell subscriptions as we will continue to publish most non-research content (e.g. Book Reviews) behind a paywall. Subscriptions to these journals will be adapted to additionally include lease access to the journal’s complete archive for the duration of the subscription year. You will be notified of the change to your subscription before and during the renewals process, and the lease archive access will be applied to your subscription when we have received your renewal. You will not have to do anything to initiate the changes to your subscription access.

For package or collection customers, there will be no change to the access parameters for Research Open titles in 2024. Package access will not include lease access to the journal’s archive beyond the volumes already included with a current subscription.

A journal has announced that it will start requiring Gold OA publication really early this year, but I've already paid a subscription for this year. Should I cancel my subscription?

The date on which a journal converts (or ‘flips’) to a policy requiring Gold OA for newly accepted and submitted manuscripts is determined by how much non-Gold OA content the journal has already accepted for publication. This non-Gold OA content will continue to publish into the journal's final subscription Volume throughout the rest of this year, per the journal's publication schedule, and a current subscription will indeed be needed in order to access this content. Meanwhile, all newly accepted content will begin to publish Gold OA on FirstView and will then be allocated to the first Gold OA Volume, publishing next year.

How will the subscription price be affected when a journal flips to Research Open?

You will notice a reduction in the price of your subscription when a journal flips to Research Open. The Research Open subscription pricing is calculated at a journal level and depends on both the amount of non-research content being published behind a paywall in the journal each year, and the size of the journal’s archive (since Research Open subscriptions will be adapted to include lease access to the journal’s complete archive for the duration of the subscription year). The subscription price will no longer be impacted by the amount of research content being published in the journal, since all research content will be published Gold OA, and will therefore be freely accessible from the point the journal flips.

Will archive content remain behind a paywall when a journal flips to an open access publishing model?

Most journals that flip to an open access publishing model will not retrospectively change archive content access, with paywalled content remaining as such. Where it is an option to purchase access to the archive of a journal, we expect to continue offering this option.

For journals flipping to Research Open, we will continue to sell subscriptions, since non-research content will mostly remain behind a paywall, and the subscriptions will be adapted to include lease access to the journal’s complete archive.

For package or collection customers, there will be no change to the access parameters for Research Open titles in 2024. Package access will not include lease access to the journal’s archive beyond the volumes already included with a current subscription.

See our Cambridge Core FAQs for more information about accessing content online, or contact Customer Services at journals@cambridge.org for further information.

I currently have a print subscription that is flipping to an open access publishing model. How will this be affected?

We will no longer offer print subscriptions from the point that a journal converts to an open access publishing model. Gold OA content will be freely available but will only be available online.

If you currently have a print subscription to a journal that will be flipping to Research Open, you will receive a subscription renewal notice for the online-only product which will additionally include lease access to the journal’s archive for the duration of the subscription year.

Should you have further queries about print, please refer to our Print Reduction FAQs.

Will researchers be advised when journals are flipping to an open access publishing model?

Yes. Communications will be sent to librarians and agents with the price list, circulated in July each year.

Authors and readers will be notified of the journal’s new requirements regarding Gold OA via announcements on the journal’s homepage, and via the online peer review system when submitting a manuscript. Those who receive Table of Contents alerts will be notified via this channel. Notifications will be sent via the journal’s social media account(s), if relevant, and we will also post notifications via relevant Cambridge social accounts.

As a librarian, how can I tell researchers at my institution that they can use our transformative agreement to publish Gold OA in Cambridge journals?

Please refer researchers to our information about institutional agreements and our eligibility checker. Researchers can publish Gold OA in the majority of journals published by Cambridge.

Will journals flipping to an open access publishing model continue to be included in KBART lists?

Yes, these titles will continue to be included in KBART listings and will be included in negotiated deals to facilitate discovery.

You can find KBART and MARC files on our open access hub for librarians.

Will the publication timeline be affected by a journal flipping to an open access publishing model?

Conversion to an open access publishing model does not have any impact on publication timelines. Changes to any journal’s publication schedule will be communicated via the pricelist and associated messaging to agents.

Can I still claim for missing print issues from the previous year after a journal flips to an open access publishing model?

Yes, the claims process will remain the same for any subscriptions previously purchased with a print component.

What are Cambridge’s open access publishing models?

We have two open access publishing models, which we refer to as 'fully Gold OA' and ‘Research Open’

Journals adopting a fully Gold publishing model will require all future articles to be published as Gold Open Access with a Creative Commons licence.

Journals adopting a Research Open publishing model will require all research content to be published as Gold OA. Research content comprises Research Articles, Review Articles, Rapid Communications, Brief Reports and Case Reports. For other kinds of content (e.g. Book Reviews) authors will have the option to publish Gold OA but this will not be required. Content that is not published as Gold OA will remain behind a paywall.

Will I continue to receive my member print subscription to the journal after it converts to an open access publishing model?

In most cases, when a journal converts (or ‘flips’) to an open access publishing model, it will move to an online-only publishing model at the same time. In some cases, however, our Society partner will decide to continue to offer print for their membership even after the journal has flipped. Please refer to your Society for further information.

What will happen to my member online access to my society journal’s current content after it flips to an open access publishing model?

For journals flipping to Research Open, non-research content (e.g. Book Reviews) will mostly continue to be published behind a paywall, as before. You will therefore continue to require a current member online subscription in order to gain access to this content. Your existing access route to the journal’s content online will not change as a result of the journal flipping to Research Open. Please refer to your Society for further information.

When a journal flips to become fully Gold, all content published in the first Gold Open Access Volume and thereafter will be freely accessible to all online.

Will I be able to access my society journal’s back content after it flips to an open access publishing model?

In most cases, when a journal converts to an open access publishing model, it will not retrospectively change the access to content published prior to the first Gold OA Volume. You will be able to continue to access this content via your current route, either via your institution’s library access or via your society membership access (if your membership entitles you to access the journal’s back content). If you are unsure if you are entitled to back content access via your membership, please refer to your Society for further information.

Will my society membership fee be affected by my society journal flipping to an open access publishing model?

Please refer to your Society for information regarding current membership fees, entitlements, and any discounts to article processing charges (APCs) you may be entitled to as a current member.

After my society journal converts to an open access publishing model, will I get a member discount rate on article processing charges (APC) when publishing Gold OA?

Some of our Society partners offer an APC discount to current members. Journal-specific APC information will be available via the ‘Information’ section of the journal’s homepage. For further information or queries please refer to your Society.

As always, APCs will only be applicable for content that is published Gold OA.

What are Cambridge’s open access publishing models?

We have two open access publishing models, which we refer to as 'fully Gold OA' and ‘Research Open’.

Journals adopting a fully Gold publishing model will require all future articles to be published as Gold Open Access with a Creative Commons licence.

Journals adopting a Research Open publishing model will require all research content to be published as Gold OA. Research content comprises Research Articles, Review Articles, Rapid Communications, Brief Reports and Case Reports. For other kinds of content (e.g. Book Reviews) authors will have the option to publish Gold OA but this will not be required. Content that is not published as Gold OA will remain behind a paywall.

As an Editorial Board Member, I get a gratis electronic subscription to the journal. How will this be affected when the journal flips to an open access publishing model?

When a journal flips to become fully Gold, all content published in the first Gold Open Access Volume and thereafter will be freely accessible to all online. As a result, you and all other readers will be able to freely access all new content as and when it is published.

For journals flipping to Research Open, non-research content (e.g. Book Reviews) will mostly continue to be published behind a paywall, as before. You will continue to be able to access this content via your current gratis electronic subscription.

As an Editorial Board Member, I get a gratis print subscription to the journal. How will this be affected when the journal flips to an open access publishing model?

In most cases, when a journal flips to an open access publishing model, it will move to an online-only publishing model at the same time, meaning you will no longer receive a print subscription to the journal.

For journals flipping to become fully Gold, all content published in the first Gold Open Access Volume and thereafter will be freely accessible to all online, so you will no longer need a subscription to access this content.

For journals flipping to Research Open, if you have a gratis print subscription you will be set up with a gratis electronic subscription to the journal, if you don’t already have one. This will ensure you will continue to have access to journal content that is published behind a paywall, which will likely continue to include most non-research content. Please refer to your Publisher contact at Cambridge for further information.

Should you have further queries about print, please refer to our Print Reduction FAQs.

Will the peer review process be impacted when the journal flips to an open access publishing model?

No. There will be no change to the peer review process or acceptance criteria because of a journal flipping to an open access publishing model. Furthermore, all author requests for waivers and discounts will be handled by Cambridge and will not be visible to Editors handling manuscripts. Our journals strictly adhere to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidance, as well as our in-house Research Publishing Ethics Guidelines.

Will authors still want to publish in the journal once it has flipped to an open access publishing model?

Yes. Flipping to an open access publishing model will have no impact on the journal’s scope, peer review process, or acceptance criteria.  The availability of funding for Gold OA publication in the area, and the proportion of the journal’s authors that are covered by our institutional open access agreements, are carefully reviewed before committing to flip to an open access publishing model. Together with the support Cambridge provides for funding Gold OA, including a robust process for waiving APCs for authors who do not have access to funding, this ensures that the flip does not create barriers to publication across the journal’s author base. Furthermore, under the Research Open publishing model authors can continue to publish non-research content (e.g. Book Reviews) without making it Gold OA, as before.

What are Cambridge’s open access publishing models?

We have two open access publishing models, which we refer to as 'fully Gold OA' and ‘Research Open’.

Journals adopting a fully Gold publishing model will require all future articles to be published as Gold Open Access with a Creative Commons licence.

Journals adopting a Research Open publishing model will require all research content to be published as Gold OA. Research content comprises Research Articles, Review Articles, Rapid Communications, Brief Reports and Case Reports. For other kinds of content (e.g. Book Reviews) authors will have the option to publish Gold OA but this will not be required. Content that is not published as Gold OA will remain behind a paywall.

We’re thinking of converting our journal to an open access publishing model. What do we need to consider?

There are a number of things to consider when deciding to convert (or ‘flip’) a journal to an open access publishing model. Please get in touch with your Publisher contact who can discuss the options with you and advise on the best course of action for your journal.

We are concerned about losing existing revenue streams, such as subscriptions and licensing, when our journal flips to an open access publishing model. How will we be supported?

Any decision to flip a journal to an open access publishing model would be made mutually between you, our Publishing Partner, and Cambridge, following in-depth discussion with your Publisher contact. In certain circumstances, your Publisher may recommend converting your journal to Research Open rather than to fully Gold, which will result in the retention of some subscription revenues. All implications, including financial sustainability, would be thoroughly considered and your Publisher will advise you on the best course of action for your journal.

Does the ownership of the content change when a journal flips to an open access publishing model?

As the journal proprietor, you continue to own all rights, title, and interest in the journal when it flips to an open access publishing model. Under our standard terms of publication for Gold Open Access content, the author will assign you, the proprietor, a non-exclusive licence to publish their content. For content that is not Gold OA, authors will usually assign an exclusive licence to publish to the journal proprietor.

There are a number of things to consider when deciding to convert, or ‘flip’, a journal to Gold open access. Please get in touch with your Publisher contact at Cambridge who will discuss the options with you and advise on the best course of action for your journal.

We are concerned about losing existing revenue streams, such as subscriptions and licensing, when our journal flips to Gold open access. How will Cambridge support us?

Any decision to flip a journal to Gold open access would be made mutually between you, our Publishing Partner, and Cambridge following in-depth discussion with your Publisher contact. All implications, including financial sustainability, would be thoroughly considered and your Publisher will advise you on the best course of action for your journal.

Does the ownership of the content change when a journal flips to Gold open access?

As the journal proprietor, you continue to own all rights, titles, and interests in the journal when it flips to Gold open access. Under our standard terms of publication for open access content, the author will assign you, the proprietor, a non-exclusive license to publish their content. For non-open access content, authors will usually assign an exclusive license to publish to the journal proprietor.

Research content types:

Research Articles, Review Articles, Rapid Communications, Brief Reports, Case Reports

Non-research content types:

Abstract, Addendum, Announcement, Article Commentary, Book Review, Correction, Discussion, Editorial, Introduction, Letter, Reply, Partial Retraction, Retraction, Books Received, Calendar, In-brief, Meeting Report, News, Obituary, Product Review, Oration, Other, Reprint, Translation, Collection, Dissertation, Expression-of-concern

* exact names may vary by journal; discoverable on the journal’s homepage, in the ‘Information’ section, under ‘Author instructions’