Article Processing Charge Support
Most Open Access journals charge article processing charges (APCs), with authors required to pay a fee to cover publishing costs. In addition, many subscription-based journals provide authors with the option to provide Open Access to their articles. This choice also requires the author to pay an APC.
Wherever possible, the University of Alberta Library negotiates license agreements with publishers who will provide U of A 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 U of A 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. The UofA Library makes every effort to provide up-to-date information on these publisher agreements, and cannot be held responsible for any APC charges resulting from publisher changes to the status of individual journals.
APC-Free Publishing
| Publisher | Eligibility | Exceptions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biochemical Society | U of A 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 | U of A corresponding authors | Applies only to five specific journals*. Authors receive a 25% discount on APCs for all CSP Hybrid Journals. The following Gold OA journals are not eligible for the 25% discount: Arctic Science, Drone Systems and Applications, and FACETS | *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) | U of A corresponding authors | Applies only to qualifying article types in Hybrid OA and some Gold OA journals | Instructions for publishing with Cambridge University Press through our agreement with the CRKN consortium, with lists of eligible journals and article types. |
| Company of Biologists | U of A corresponding authors | Includes all Company of Biologists journals | |
| Elsevier | U of A corresponding authors | Applies only to Core Hybrid OA journals and Specialty Hybrid OA journals. Gold OA journals are eligible for the following APC discounts: 20% in 2024; 15% in 2025 and 2026; 10% in 2027 |
All journal types, including excluded journals, are listed on our CRKN/Elsevier - Complete Journals List spreadsheet |
| Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) | U of A corresponding authors | All IMechE journals are hosted on the SAGE platform. See the SAGE Open Access document for instructions | |
| Institute of Physics (IOP) | U of A corresponding authors | Some journals* are excluded | *List of IOP journals with eligibility Eligible article types: Papers, Special Issue Papers, Reviews, Letters |
| John Benjamins | U of A corresponding authors | Includes all John Benjamins journals | |
| Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy (University of Toronto Press) | U of A corresponding authors | APC waiver applies only to this single UofT Press Journal | |
| Microbiology Society | U of A corresponding authors | Includes all Microbiology Society journals | |
| Oxford University Press (OUP) NOTE: Effective February 1, 2024 | U of A corresponding authors | Applies only to Hybrid OA journals* Gold OA journals** are eligible for a 10% discount | *List of eligible Hybrid OA journals **List of Gold OA journals eligible for 10% APC discount only List of non-OA journals OUP author guide |
| PLOS | U of A 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 | |
| Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) | U of A corresponding authors | All RSM journals are hosted on the SAGE platform. See the SAGE Open Access document for instructions | |
| Sage | U of A corresponding authors | APC-free publishing in Hybrid OA journals A 40% discount on APCs for most Gold OA journals | Lists of Sage journals eligible for APC waivers or discounts Sage Open Access document |
| Trans Tech Publications | U of A corresponding authors | Includes all Trans Tech journals Open Access FAQ (downloadable pdf) Eligible article types: Research Articles, Reviews, Conference Papers | |
| Wiley Online Library | U of A corresponding authors | Applies to Hybrid OA journals only*. Gold OA journals are excluded. Certain article types are excluded** | Wiley OA publishing instructions here. *List of Hybrid OA journals eligible for APC-free publishing **List of article types eligible for APC-free publishing |
APC Discounts
| Publisher | Eligibility | Exceptions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | A discount of 15% on APCs for U of A 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 U of A corresponding authors for all ACS journals | This discount can be used in conjunction with personal ACS membership discounts | |
| IEEE | A discount of 15% on Full OA and Hybrid OA journals for U of A corresponding authors | For some journals, there is no OA option available | Complete list of IEEE journals in all categories |
| MDPI | A discount of 10% on APCs for all U of A authors | This 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 U of A, and the author submits the manuscript with a valid @ualberta.ca email address. PLEASE NOTE: Only one MDPI APC discount is permitted per paper. However, effective September 15/23, the MDPI APC discount may be combined with other types of available discounts |
| Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) | A discount of 15% for U of A corresponding authors on APCs in Hybrid OA journals | Gold OA journals are excluded. APC-free publishing for the journal Chemical Science only (Diamond OA) | Lists of Gold OA journals (excluded from discount) and Hybrid OA journals (eligible for discount) |
| Taylor & Francis | A discount of 25% for U of A corresponding authors on APCs* | Discount applies only to Open Select journals | List of Open Select journals |