Increasing equity through open access agreements

Author: Nicole Jackson

Senior Marketing Manager

Our case study, Accelerating open access at scale: A look at three transformative agreements, provides evidence that Springer transformative agreements (TAs) are delivering a fast and scalable route for institutions looking to transition to open access (OA). We have also published a summary of key findings, showing that smaller and lower-income countries are already participating in, and benefiting from, Springer TAs. Here, we explore how these TAs increase equity – not only for participating institutions but for researchers around the world.

Immediate growth of OA 

The case studies present compelling evidence that Springer TAs enable immediate growth of OA publications in participating countries and institutions, delivering a fast, strategic step towards an OA transition. For agreements that launched in 2023, including Slovenia (CTK Consortium) and South Africa (SANLiC), OA publication growth in the first year was as high as 1100%.  

“Our group includes very small schools, very large schools, and all sizes in between, and our goal is to try to create something that is beneficial for everyone involved.”

Supporting previously underrepresented institutions

By centralising OA funding, TAs increase equity across participating institutions, notably for those with limited budgets. Our case studies show how institutions with lower research output or less access to research funding, where payment of individual article processing charges (APCs) may have previously been a barrier to OA, are now experiencing a growth in OA publications. For example, in the US, Lyrasis supports a wide spectrum of institutions. In the first six months of 2024 (its first year with a Springer TA), researchers in institutions that are part of Lyrasis published 533 OA articles, compared to 140 articles in the entire previous year.

Celeste Feather, Lyrasis’ Senior Director of Content and Scholarly Communication Initiatives, described the opportunity the TA creates for its members: “Our group includes very small schools, very large schools, and all sizes in between, and our goal is to try to create something that is beneficial for everyone involved.” This includes historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), like Grambling State University, where many authors are experiencing the potential of OA publishing for the first time.

Widening OA across disciplines

Another aspect in which TAs support equity is the growth of OA publishing across disciplines. With Springer TAs, the uptake of OA across all disciplines is broadened, most notably in the humanities and social sciences (HSS), where there is traditionally less funding for OA. The percentage of HSS articles published OA has increased by over 2000% in several Springer TAs. In Slovenia, for example, uptake of OA for eligible HSS articles has increased by over 600%: just 12% of eligible HSS articles were published OA before the start of their agreement, compared with 85% in 2023. Similarly, South Africa saw OA uptake increase for eligible HSS articles from 9% to 81% in the same period, an 800% jump.

OA uptake in the Humanities and Social Sciences: South Africa and Slovenia (pre-TA vs 2023)

“It’s the exposure that our emerging research will get from transformative agreements because you will see that more and more emerging researchers get to publish.”

Fuelling opportunities for early career researchers (ECRs)

Early career researchers (ECRs) often lack independent funding, and therefore find it more challenging to publish their work OA. Springer TAs support ECRs in publishing OA, elevating their visibility and supporting their career progression. “It’s the exposure that our emerging research will get from transformative agreements because you will see that more and more emerging researchers get to publish.” explained Luyolo Matabeni, Senior Librarian, at Nelson Mandela University, South Africa (part of the SANLiC Springer TA).

Researchers at institutions participating in TAs can benefit hugely from publishing their work Gold OA, gaining increased usage, citations, and visibility. The case studies found that research published under Springer TAs are reaching broader audiences: in 2023, articles published under TAs accounted for 78% of our total hybrid OA usage, with over 70% of that usage coming from anonymous users (outside of IP ranges associated with subscribing universities). Looking at this usage regionally, the growth of usage in Asia and Africa is particularly striking, showing that TAs are diversifying readership beyond countries and institutions that traditionally had access under a subscription model.

Percentage change in anonymous usage from 2020 to 2023 by IP continent for articles under TAs

Levelling the playing field through wider access to research

Springer TAs not only enable researchers to publish their work OA: under the "read" portion of the agreements, they also enable researchers to benefit from a vast catalogue of peer-reviewed publications. For South Africa, much of this was previously unavailable due to financial constraints. “Open access makes it easier for our population to access information, because in most instances our institutions have financial constraints in actually subscribing to various journals because of the cost,” explained Luyolo Matabeni, Senior Librarian, Nelson Mandela University. The agreement has made it easier for users to access information.

Across all three case studies, the usage of subscription content under the “read” portion of agreements increased by as much as 24% in the first year, demonstrating value for members.

Towards a more open and equitable scholarly communications landscape

By expanding access to scholarly content and centralising costs for OA, Springer TAs are enabling institutions to manage costs, increase transparency, and support the growth of OA. They are also serving as a critical tool for increasing equity worldwide. We remain convinced of the efficacy of TAs as a fast, scalable, and equitable route to global OA, and we continue to negotiate agreements that are adapted to meet regional needs.

You can read further evidence for the value and impact of the Lyrasis, South Africa and Slovenia Springer TAs, including the benefits to participating institutions, their researchers, and the global research ecosystem, in the case study Accelerating open access at scale: A look at three transformative agreements.

Related content

• Accelerating open access at scale: Key insights for research librarians 
• OA agreement stories: Dr Deepali Kuberkar, Tata Memorial Hospital 
• OA agreement stories: University of Miami 
• OA agreement stories: Mark Robison, University of Notre Dame 
• OA agreement stories: Jeff Carroll, Rutgers University 
• OA agreements advance OA publishing in Asia and Oceania 
• Making policy a reality – practical steps to open access workflows 
• Librarians in the age of open access: An evolving role 
• Transitioning to open access: Reflections from three US organizations 

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