Can I still publish with Sage/Springer Nature?
In order to support the national negotiating team and in accordance with the recommendations of swissuniversities, researchers are invited to temporarily refrain from publishing in Springer Nature/Sage journals and to favor alternatives, with the support of libraries to guide them.
Researchers are encouraged to prioritize publishing their articles in journals included/covered by other agreements. Please consult the complete list of agreements with OA components.
When publication with these publishers is still desired or necessary, the conditions will depend on the type of journal:
- Gold OA journal (publishes only OA articles): Neither UNIL, the libraries, nor the SNSF will cover gold APCs during a no-deal period for articles submitted after the contract has ended.
- Hybrid journal (publishes both closed and OA articles simultaneously): Neither UNIL, the libraries, nor the SNSF will cover hybrid APCs during a no-deal period. The university also recommends that its researchers do not pay publication fees individually. The preferred route is the green route: depositing and sharing the publication in IRIS, in accordance with Open Access requirements.
- For gold or hybrid journals, it is also possible to request the transfer of the corresponding author position to a co-author affiliated with an institution that has an agreement in place.
Is the green route sufficient?
Yes, the green route is a legitimate Open Access route, both for UNIL and for many funders, subject to certain conditions.
- Articles initially published in closed access, provided that access to the publication is possible without embargo. However, if the article is the result of a project submitted to the SNSF before 1 January 2023, a six-month embargo is permitted. Exceptions may be granted by the SNSF provided that it can be proven that an attempt was made to ask the publisher to lift the embargo and that the publisher refused.
- Final manuscripts, i.e. the latest version of the article incorporating all the changes requested by the peer reviewers, but before layout by the publisher. This version must be distributed under a CC-BY licence.
It is important to note that archiving on personal pages or academic social networks (such as ResearchGate or Academia) does not guarantee long-term archiving, access without an account, or good visibility. This type of archiving is therefore not considered Open Access.
What happens if I have submitted my article to an Open Access publisher and it is accepted after the No Deal situation begins?
The situation depends on the type of journal and the timing of the submission and acceptance of the article.
- If the article was submitted to a Gold journal:
- Coverage of publication charges (APCs) depends on the funding available at the time of acceptance (institutional funds, SNSF funds, funding by the department or faculty).
- It is recommended that you contact the publication support service at Unil (open.access@unil.ch) and CHUV/Unisanté (open.access@chuv.ch) as soon as possible to assess the available options (change of journal, green road deposit, publication deadlines, etc.).
- In the case of a hybrid journal:
- Neither Unil, the libraries nor the SNSF will cover hybrid APCs during a no-deal period. The university also recommends that its researchers do not pay publication fees individually. The preferred route is the green route: depositing and sharing the publication in IRIS, in accordance with Open Access requirements.
Case-by-case assessment
Aware that these situations can be problematic for researchers, UNIL and BCUL will examine specific cases on a case-by-case basis and will seek, as far as possible, appropriate solutions, taking into account the context of the submission, publishers' constraints and Open Access requirements.
Please note that Unil will not cover Gold OA costs for articles submitted after the start of the situation without a contract.