The UC Libraries Arts and Humanities Open Access Fund has now been expanded to cover the costs of open access publishing for all University of California (UC) authors publishing in eligible arts and humanities journals. 

The fund was established with the goal of providing financial support to author communities that are underserved by existing open access publishing funds. Whether due to a lack of grant-funding opportunities or gaps in UC’s open access publisher agreements, authors in the arts and humanities are generally the least likely to be able to secure funds to publish open access.

This fund now covers the full costs of the open access publication fees for all UC authors, regardless of career status, who are publishing arts and humanities articles that meet the fund’s eligibility requirements. Previously, the fund was limited to early career researchers.

More information about the fund, including its eligibility criteria and application process, can be found on the UC Libraries Arts and Humanities Open Access Fund website.

Why Publish Open Access?

Open access removes barriers between readers and scholarly publications. Historically, open access works are read more, have higher download rates, and are accessed more broadly than their subscription/sales counterparts. Public service lies at the heart of the University of California’s mission and providing broad access to the university’s research output is a way to give back to the public and to demonstrate the value of academic work.

In addition to removing barriers to publicly funded research, publishing open access also increases visibility of an author’s work by reaching new communities of scholars and readers worldwide.

Publishing Agreements and Discounts for UC Authors

The University of California is committed to making it easier and more affordable for UC authors to publish open access. 

The UC libraries negotiate agreements with scholarly journal publishers to reduce the amount authors must pay when they choose to publish open access. Some agreements offer a discount on open access fees, and others cover all of the fees.

For more information about UC’s open access agreements and to search for eligible journals by name or publisher, visit the UC Office of Scholarly Communication Open Access webpage.