Article processing charges (APCs) are charged to authors of scholarly journal articles to publish their works open access. APCs are used by hybrid or fully open access journals in lieu of subscription fees that libraries and readers have traditionally paid to gain access to research articles.

The UB Libraries do not have a budget to assist authors with article processing charges. However, the Libraries are actively exploring opportunities to partner with journal publishers on transformative or subscribe-to-open agreements that may provide APC discounts or waivers. All such current agreements are listed below. 

BMJ Case Reports

UB Libraries have an institutional fellowship with BMJ Case Reports. UB authors do not have to pay the fees to submit cases but must contact the Abbott Library to get a code. Please read the BMJ Case Reports product description page for more details on how to use this discount and submit.

Cambridge University Press journals

Under terms of a transformative agreement, UB corresponding authors can publish an unlimited number of open access articles in Cambridge University Press journals with no article processing charges (APCs). The APC waiver does not apply to UB-affiliated secondary authors. Terms of this agreement will last from 2023-2025.

Company of Biologists journals

Under terms of the current agreement, UB corresponding authors can publish an unlimited number of open access articles in the journals, Biology Open, Development, Disease Models and Mechanisms, Journal of Cell Science, or Journal of Experimental Biology, with no article processing charges (APCs). The APC waiver does not apply to UB-affiliated secondary authors. Terms of this agreement will last from 2023-2025.

Elsevier journals

According to the 2020 modified agreement with Elsevier, "all SUNY faculty are given a 10% discount on article process charges (APCs) if they wish to publish their work open access in Elsevier journals."

Mathematical Sciences Publishers (MSP) journals

The UB Libraries' are part of a community action "subscribe-to-open initiative" with MSP. As a result, all authors, regardless of institutional affiliation, can publish an unlimited number of papers open access in the following MSP journals without being charged APCs: Topology, Algebraic & Geometric Topology, Algebra & Number Theory, Analysis & PDE, and The Pacific Journal of Mathematics. This benefit is predicated on sufficient annual renewals among community members. 

Microbiology Society

UB Libraries subscribe to the following Microbiology Society journals: Journal of General Virology, Journal of Medical Microbiology and Microbiology. All UB-affiliated authors receive a 15 percent discount on the journal APCs for these journals. Authors must select the OpenMicrobiology option when submitting an article. UB-affiliated authors receive a 50 percent discount on the journal APCs for JMM Case Reports.

Public Library of Science (PLOS)

The UB Libraries have entered into a community action publishing agreement with PLOS that allows UB authors to publish an unlimited number of papers in the high-impact, open access journals, PLOS Biology and PLOS Medicine, for the next three years (through Dec. 31, 2023), with no article processing charges (APCs). In order to take advantage of this discount, please read the answer to the question, "My institution is a member, how do I make sure I get my benefits?" on the PLOS Community Action Publishing FAQ.

SCOAP3 for researchers engaged in high-energy physics

SCOAP3 is an international consortium of thousands of libraries, funding agencies and research centers that have established agreements with publishers in the high-energy physics field. These agreements subsidize the APCs for publishing in SCOAP3 journals. UB authors pay no APCs, retain copyright and have their articles published with immediate open access, thereby ensuring compliance with federal open access mandates.