As an outcome of Swedish research funders' strategic decision to jointly cover publishing costs with fully open access publishers, a new Bibsam agreement has been concluded with PLOS. This publishing agreement enables all researchers affiliated with any of the Bibsam Consortium’s participating institutions to publish in all of the publisher's journals, regardless of article type, and without fees for the author or the institution.

The costs of the agreement are jointly covered by the Swedish Research Council, Formas, Forte, and Vinnova. Similar publishing agreements have been concluded with Frontiers and MJS Publishing, and additional agreements with publishers that only publish fully open access journals are expected to be finalised early next year.

About the agreement with PLOS

Established in 2001, PLOS (Public Library of Science) is a fully open access publisher, with a focus on the biological and medical sciences. At present, PLOS publishes 15 journals in these fields.

The agreement with PLOS, effective from January 1, 2024, spans two years (2024-2025). It is estimated that researchers affiliated with the Bibsam Consortium’s participating institutions will publish approximately 255 articles annually under this agreement.

Read more about PLOS on the publisher’s website Länk till annan webbplats.

About the Bibsam Consortium

The National Library of Sweden has, since 1996, negotiated licence agreements for electronic information resources and publishing agreements on behalf of Swedish universities and university colleges, as well as public agencies and research institutes. In 2023, the Consortium’s turnover was approximately EUR 60 million.

Read more about the Bibsam Consortium