When UCL announced the transformative agreement with many publishers and the Read & Publish Open Access initiative by The Company of Biologists, I couldn’t have been any happier, in particular since Journal of Cell Science and Development are two go-to journals in our area of vascular cell biology and cell signaling. Undoubtedly, it is these kind of initiatives that are needed to use public research funds money wisely and truly make science accessible and more impactful for all. With this kind of publication policy The Company of Biologists will always remain at the top of the pile for us.
We were delighted to be able to publish our article Open Access free of charge in Journal of Experimental Biology and we feel very privileged to have this opportunity. As early career researchers completing research that was not funded using a massive grant, we had no funds available to cover publication fees. This is a factor that can limit many researchers, so being able to publish Open Access for free was a lifeline for me and my co-authors.
My university’s Read & Publish agreement with The Company of Biologists has allowed me to publish the research from my PhD in Journal of Experimental Biology without having to worry about finding funding for Open Access charges. My work is available instantly for free and can be read by JEB’s wide readership of scientists from different backgrounds.
Being able to publish Open Access for free in the Journal of Experimental Biology has helped us expand the readership of our research, in a very fast and convenient way. It is particularly encouraging for early career researchers at institutions with Read & Publish agreements for the journal, as it allows them to display their research globally without the need to find costs to cover the Open Access option.
Publishing in the Journal of Experimental Biology helps to ensure that my paper reaches colleagues in my field. Publishing my paper Open Access ensures that it will also be accessible immediately to everyone else – and it was great to be able to do so for free as my institution has a Read & Publish agreement with The Company of Biologists.
It is important to me that publicly funded research like our own is available for the public to read, and Open Access agreements are a really great tool to help achieve this. It also makes it much easier for me to share our work with collaborators and other interested parties, which I’m sure helps with the overall dissemination of our research.
Journal of Experimental Biology is one of my favourite journals and I was very pleased that we could publish our article Open Access without charge as a result of the R&P agreement. OA makes our research available to everyone immediately and increases the impact of our work. When you consider how much of our time and public money goes into the production of a scientific article, anything that improves its overall impact and availability amplifies its value.
The Read & Publish agreement between The Company of Biologists and The University of York is a fantastic step forward in reducing barriers to publishing – and accessing – research articles. Alongside pre-printing for early documentation of work, such mechanisms are particularly helpful for early career researchers like me. The first paper from my lab, recently accepted by Journal of Cell Science, was made available Open Access without charge through this agreement and all other aspects of the editorial process were equally simple!
The Read & Publish agreement is great for us at The Crick. As a corresponding author, I can publish as many papers as I like in The Company of Biologists’ journals, such as Development, without paying an Open Access charge. It also means that as a reader I have access to all The Company of Biologists’ content, dating back to the early 20th century and beyond.
I was very pleased to publish Open Access in Journal of Cell Science with no fees nor time-consuming admin processes. The clear advantages are rapid and efficient exposure and easy access to my article around the world. I believe it is great to have this publishing option in fast-growing fields in biomedical research.
Visit our journal websites
