• Find a Person
  • ONEcard
  • Bear Tracks
  • Maps
  • Email & Apps
  • eClass
LIBRARY
  • Library Services
  • Subject Guides
  • Hours & Locations
  • About the Library Us
  • My Account
  • Ask
    Us
    Ask Us
    Chat with Us
    Email Us
    Phone Us
    Book a Consultation
    Find your Subject Librarian
  • Search

Article Processing Charge Support

Some Open Access journals charge article processing charges (APCs), with authors required to pay a fee to cover publishing costs.

Wherever possible, the UofA Library negotiates license agreements with publishers who will provide UofA authors with free OA publishing or discounts on APCs, as part of our ongoing subscriptions. The following list includes all of the publishers who currently provide APC-free or APC-discounted publishing for UofA authors.

More questions about APCs? You can Ask Us.

PLEASE NOTE: The fee waivers and discounts listed below apply only to Open Access Article Processing Charges. Any additional publisher charges must be paid by the author.

Open Access Links

  • Funding Agency Mandates
  • Media
  • How do I publish OA?

Research Support

  • Aviary
  • ERA
  • Open Access
  • Open Educational Resources
  • ORCID
  • Research Data Management
  • Publishing Support
  • Measure Your Impact

APC-Free Publishing

Publisher EligibilityExceptionsNotes
Biochemical Society UofA corresponding authors Applies only to the five journals* subscribed by UAL * Journals that qualify for APC-free OA publishing: Biochemical Journal, Biochemical Society Transactions,Clinical Science, Essays in Biochemistry, and Emerging Topics in Life Sciences
Canadian Science Publishing UofA corresponding authors Applies only to five specific journals*. Authors receive a 25% discount on APCs for the remaining 18 CSP journals * Journals that qualify for APC-free OA publishing: Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Canadian Journal of Physics, Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, Genome, and Transactions of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering
Cambridge University Press (CUP) UofA corresponding authors Applies only to qualifying article types* in Hybrid OA and Gold OA journals * Article types that qualify for APC-free OA publishing: Research Articles, Review Articles, Rapid Communications, Brief Reports, and Case Reports
Company of BiologistsUofA corresponding authors Includes all Company of Biologists journals
Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) UofA corresponding authors All IMechE journals are hosted on the SAGE platform. See the SAGE Open Access document for instructions
Institute of Physics (IOP) UofA corresponding authors Some journals* are excluded *List of IOP journals
John Benjamins UofA corresponding authors Includes all John Benjamins journals
Microbiology SocietyUofA corresponding authors Includes all Microbiology Society journals
PLoSUofA corresponding authors Includes all PLOS journals. Watch this PLOS video for information on how authors self-identify with the institution at the time of submission or read the Author FAQs.
Royal Society of Medicine (RSM)UofA corresponding authors All RSM journals are hosted on the SAGE platform. See the SAGE Open Access document for instructions
SAGEUofA corresponding authors Some Hybrid OA journals are excluded*. Authors receive a 40% APC discount for Gold OA journals**See the SAGE Open Access document for instructions.
* List of excluded journals
** List of Gold OA journals
Wiley Online LibraryUofA corresponding authors Applies to Hybrid OA journals only*. Gold OA journals are excluded.Wiley OA publishing instructions here.
*List of Hybrid OA journals eligible for APC-free publishing

APC Discounts

PublisherEligibilityExceptionsNotes
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)A discount of 15% on APCs for UofA corresponding authors in the journal Science Advances AAAS members receive an additional discount of 4% in Science Advances.
American Chemical Society (ACS)A discount of $250 USD on APCs for UofA corresponding authors for all ACS journals This discount can be used in conjunction with personal ACS membership discounts
ElsevierA discount of 20% on APCs for UofA corresponding authors on APCs for Hybrid and Gold OA journals*Cell Press, Lancet, and some other society-owned journals are excluded Elsevier APC price list
MDPIA discount of 10% on APCs for all UofA authorsThis discount may be claimed by an individual who is NOT the corresponding author. All researchers affiliated with the University of Alberta* qualify for this discount*Includes staff, undergraduate and postgraduate students, lecturers, current and emeritus professors, and those on temporary or permanent research contracts.Those with a temporary status (e.g. visiting researchers) also qualify as affiliated authors if the research in the manuscript was partially or wholly conducted at UofA, and the author submits the manuscript with a valid @ualberta.ca email address.
NOTE: Only one MDPI APC discount is permitted per paper and cannot be combined with other available discounts
Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)A discount of 15% for UofA corresponding authors on APCs in Hybrid OA journalsGold OA journals are excluded Lists of Gold OA journals (excluded from discount) and Hybrid OA journals (eligible for discount)
Taylor & FrancisA discount of 25% for UofA corresponding authors on APCs*Discount applies only to Open Select journalsList of Open Select journals
  • Our People
  • Our Policies
  • Our Collection
  • Open to Collaborate
  • Accessiblity at UAL
  • Support Us
  • Employment
  • Copyright Office

Statement on Harmful Language in Records and Descriptions

Territorial Acknowledgement the University of Alberta Library acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 and Métis territory, and we respect the histories, languages, and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.


University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2R3 | This site is licensed under a Creative Commons License | Website Privacy Policy