Elsevier to Flip Seven Subscription Journals to Open Access in 2014

AMSTERDAM, December 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, today announced that it will flip seven established subscription journals to a gold open access model starting from 1st January 2014.

These titles include Physics Letters B  and Nuclear PhysicsB as part of Elsevier's participation in the SCOAP^[3]  (Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access Publishing in Particle Physics) initiative. Other titles include Stem Cell Research, The International Journal of Infectious Diseases, Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Epidemics and EJC Supplements.

"This announcement is part of Elsevier's ongoing effort to help facilitate further implementation of open access options," said Philippe Terheggen, Managing Director of STM journals at Elsevier. "In areas where we have seen a clear uptake and support for open access publishing from authors, funders and the wider community we have made the decision to flip the journal. Our priority is always to focus on what authors need and to provide the best quality journal which will serve the community regardless of the business model."

Journals that are changed from subscription-based to open access will retain the same editorial standards and instead of through subscriptions, the publication costs of the journals will be covered through an article processing fees paid by the authors or, in the case of Physics Letters B and Nuclear Physics B, by the SCOAP3 consortium. Libraries will no longer need to subscribe to these titles, and past issues remain accessible to subscribers through their collection agreements.

"As high-energy physics journals flip to open access, this is a time of reflection," said Salvatore Mele, who led the development of the SCOAP3 initiative at CERN. "Hard work and close collaboration have brought this open access initiative into reality. Many different stakeholders have reached unprecedented consensus: libraries, funding agencies, research organizations and publishers such as Elsevier. All together they have made this possible."

About Open Access Publishing at Elsevier

Elsevier has been providing open access publishing options since 2005. Today, researchers can choose to publish open access in over 1,600 established peer-reviewed journals as well as 73 full open access journals and these numbers will continue to grow rapidly. All of Elsevier's open access publications have been peer reviewed, ensuring that the broader community not only reads the latest research but that it is factual, original and of the highest quality and ethical standards. For more information about Elsevier's open access program, visit http://www.elsevier.com/openaccess

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and 25,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier's online solutions include ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, Reaxys, ClinicalKey and Mosby's Suite, which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, helping research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.

A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC, a world leading provider of professional information solutions in the Science, Medical, Legal and Risk and Business sectors, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

Media contact
Harald Boersma
Elsevier
+31-20-485-27-36
h.boersma@elsevier.com