Open access policies for journals

On this page you can find out about Springer Nature’s open access (OA) policies for journal articles published via the immediate (gold) OA and subscription routes.

Our publication policies help our authors achieve a high level of openness with their research and support them in meeting the open access (OA) requirements of their research funders and institutions.

For information about meeting the OA policies of funders and institutions when publishing with Springer Nature, visit our OA funding support service.

If you're looking for information about our OA policies for books and chapters, you can find them here.


OA licensing and copyright

Papers published Open access (OA) in Springer Nature journals


Self-archiving, manuscript deposition, and digital preservation

Self-archiving of papers published open access


Publisher deposition of papers published open access


Self-archiving of papers published via the subscription route


Self-archiving of papers containing Rights Retention language


Preprints


Digital preservation


Article processing charges

What is an APC and what are authors paying for?


APC waivers and discounts for financial need


APC waivers for substantial critiques of articles published in OA journals


APC waivers and refunds for publisher errors


Springer Nature's commitment to consistent and sustainable pricing for hybrid/Transformative Journals


Other OA policies

Retrospective open access for hybrid and Transformative Journals *


Springer Nature policies and compliance with funders' open access mandates


Hybrid and Transformative Journals; open access decision process


Availability of research data