Open Access Publishing Fund
We are pleased to introduce the Open Access Publishing Fund, a library initiative to support faculty in publishing their research articles as open access in scholarly journals.
What is the fund?
The Open Access Publishing Fund provides financial support to pay Article Processing Charges (APCs) directly to publishers on behalf of authors. This fund aims to eliminate financial barriers that authors may encounter when choosing open access options for their scholarly articles.
Why open access?
Open access publishing promotes wider visibility, accessibility, and impact of research findings by making them freely available to a global audience, including academics, policymakers, practitioners, and the public.
Who can benefit?
Faculty members affiliated with Sac State are eligible to apply for funding. Whether you are a new or established researcher, if you have an accepted manuscript and wish to publish it open access, this fund is available to support you.
Are there any restrictions?
- There is a limit of one article, up to $3,000, per author per fiscal year.
- The journal must be entirely open access, not hybrid. Journals in which only some of the articles are open access do not qualify.
- The journal must be included in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) or demonstrably follow its inclusion criteria.
- We will not provide funding to publish in journals with which we already have an open access publishing agreement (view our publisher list).
- All articles supported by this fund must be deposited in Sac State Scholars after publication.
How does it work?
- Application: Authors submit an application including basic details about the article and proof of acceptance from the journal.
- Review: Library staff review the application to ensure it meets our criteria.
- Payment: Upon approval, the library arranges for payment of the APC directly to the publisher based on an invoice. (Note: We cannot reimburse authors; payments must go directly to the publisher.)
Benefits of using the fund
- Increased Visibility: Open access articles reach a broader audience without access barriers, maximizing the visibility and impact of your research.
- Compliance: Ensure compliance with funder and institutional open access mandates.
- Support for Diversity: Promote inclusivity in scholarly communications by removing financial obstacles that may disproportionately affect authors from underrepresented groups. Remove paywalls for readers without access to expensive library subscriptions.
Get started today
We encourage eligible authors to take advantage of this opportunity to publish their research openly, help publicize Sac State’s scholarship more widely, and contribute to the global academic community. For questions on eligibility criteria, application procedures, and fund availability, please contact Lib-Scholars@csus.edu