For best experience please turn on javascript and use a modern browser!
You are using a browser that is no longer supported by Microsoft. Please upgrade your browser. The site may not present itself correctly if you continue browsing.
Library Library

Free open access publishing: maximum nearly reached

At several scientific publishers, the maximum number of free open access publications for 2026 has almost been reached.

6 September 2026

During September, it is expected that it will no longer be possible to publish open access articles without costs with Oxford University Press (hybrid open), Springer Nature and Emerald. From October, this will also be the case for Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. The maximum for Oxford University Press(full open) and Taylor & Francis are expected to be reached in November. Check before submitting your article whether open access publishing without costs is still available, to avoid unexpected costs.

The UvA has Read & Publish agreements with publishers that provide students and staff reading access and allow researchers to publish open access without costs. The maximum number of articles covered by these agreements (the so-called ‘caps’) has been reached, or is close to being reached, for several publishers. Once this maximum has been reached, the Article Processing Charge (APC), or open access fee, must be paid for the remainder of the year, until 31 December. Because of the increasing publication output of the UvA, these maximums are often being reached early in the year.

Is your article likely to be accepted soon by one of the publishers mentioned above? If so, pay close attention when you are offered the option to publish open access. Choosing this option after the maximum has been reached may result in substantial costs.

How do I know when the maximum has been reached?

The UvA Open Access Journal Browser indicates for each journal when a cap applies. Openaccess.nl shows, for each publisher, when a cap is in place. Whether your article is still covered by the agreement depends on its acceptance date. When you submit an article, you may therefore not yet know if the agreement will still apply. Be sure to check this in advance.

What should I keep in mind?

In a hybrid journal, you can publish either open access or behind a paywall. When submitting your article to a hybrid journal, you can indicate that you wish to publish open access and use the UvA (UNL) agreement for open access publishing without costs. If the cap has been reached and the agreement no longer applies, you can still choose to publish behind a paywall. After six months, the Library can make the publication openly available via UvA-DARE under the Taverne amendment. (Please note: this does not meet the NWO requirement for immediate open access publication.)

A fully open access journal only offers open access publishing, and an APC will always be charged. If your article does not fall within the maximum number of publications eligible for open access publishing without costs, you will need to pay the APC yourself. The UvA does not offer central funding for these costs; you will need to rely on faculty-level funding. Keep this in mind when submitting your article.