Austrian scholars can publish open access in more than 1,600 Springer journals

Austrian Consortium and Austrian Science Fund (FWF) sign Springer Compact deal

Heidelberg, 16 September 2015

Springer and the Austrian Academic Library Consortium (AALC/Kooperation E-Medien Österreich/KEMÖ) have finalized a wide-ranging agreement for a new Springer Compact deal running from 2016 through 2018. Springer Compact combines reading and open access publishing in one annual fee. Consortium members gain access to over 2,000 Springer journals and also have the option of publishing their research open access in more than 1,600 Springer hybrid journals. The Austrian Science Fund (FWF) is also a partner in the newly signed deal.

Springer signed a similar access and publishing agreement with the Association of Dutch Universities in November 2014. Springer is currently finalizing other comparable deals in the United Kingdom and Germany. An especially attractive provision of the Springer Compact business model allows researchers the option of publishing their research open access in a large portfolio of journals without worrying about fees or not being able to meet OA mandate requirements.

Brigitte Kromp, Representative for Open Access at the Austrian Academic Library Consortium and Head of Consortia Management at Vienna University Library, said: "This groundbreaking agreement with Springer shows an impressive spirit of innovation and creativity. All partners of the deal are aware of the unique options it provides for the Austrian scientific community. It supports the Austrian Academic Library Consortium in achieving its main goal - providing and disseminating academic information as comprehensively as possible. By giving scholars reading access to all Springer journals on the one hand and making open access publishing comfortable and self-evident for them on the other hand, we hope to make a strong contribution to speeding up the transition from a closed to an open publishing world."

Falk Reckling, Austrian Science Fund (FWF), Head of Strategy Analysis Dept., said: “After very constructive negotiations, the FWF is proud to have finalized an open access agreement with a major academic publisher. That agreement goes in the right direction and accelerates a fair transformation of the academic publishing system to open access as the Max Planck Society has recently proposed. From an Austrian perspective, this deal presents a very fine example what can be achieved for scholars as well as for the broader public if research institutions, libraries, the ministry (BMWFW) and a research funder effectively work together. ”

Dagmar Laging, Vice President Sales Europe & Africa, said: “I am very pleased that the Austrian Academic Library Consortium and Springer agreed on one of the first major open access pilot projects in Europe. We enter an innovative field by testing in the coming 3 years a new model that provides Austrian scientists with direct access to all Springer journals and a smooth open access publishing path.”
Juliane Ritt, Executive Vice President Global Hybrid OA Initiatives, at Springer said: ”To provide authors a smooth & fast publication process, is a key focus for us. I am especially pleased about this milestone agreement, because Springer Compact is ‘OA publishing made easy’ and Austrian researchers can now publish OA in over 1,600 high-quality Springer journals knowing payment and mandated requirements are taken care of for them.”

The main goal of the Austrian Academic Library Consortium (www.konsortien.at) is to intensify the collaboration between libraries as well as archival, information and research institutions in using e-resources. The consortium aims at coordinating acquisition and management of databases, e-journals and e-books as well as promoting open access initiatives within Austria and around the world.

The Austrian Science Fund FWF (www.fwf.ac.at) supports the ongoing development of Austrian basic research at an international level. In this way, the FWF makes a significant contribution to the cultural development and advancement of the knowledge-based society, and thus to the creation of value and wealth in Austria. The FWF funds top-quality research projects of all disciplines and enhances the competitiveness of Austria's innovation system and its research facilities. The FWF is a strong supporter of open access since more than a decade and coordinator of the Open Access Network Austria (OANA).

Springer (www.springer.com) is a leading global scientific, technical and medical publisher, providing researchers in academia, scientific institutions and corporate R&D departments with quality content via innovative information products and services. Springer is also a trusted local-language publisher in Europe – especially in Germany and the Netherlands – primarily for physicians and professionals working in healthcare and road safety education. Springer published roughly 2,400 English-language journals and more than 9,000 new books in 2014, and the group is home to the world’s largest STM eBook collection, as well as the most comprehensive portfolio of open access journals. In 2014, Springer Science+Business Media generated sales of approximately EUR 959 million. The group employs some 8,500 individuals across the globe.