OASE+ and Elsevier Agree Next-Phase Read and Publish Agreement to Expand Open Access Publishing in Japan

OASE+opens in new tab/window (Open Access for Scholarly Empowerment +), the collective negotiating body established with Japanese government support to advance the country’s national open access policy, and Elsevier, a global leader in advanced information and decision support, have agreed a read-and-publish agreement covering 2027 to 2029.

The agreement further develops the framework established by Elsevier in partnership with the Japan Alliance of University Library Consortia for E-Resources (JUSTICEopens in new tab/window) for 2024 to 2026. Under this framework Japanese research institutions are able to expand open access publishing at a pace suited to their individual circumstances while maintaining access to scholarly journals.

From 2027, researchers at participating institutions will be able to publish open access in eligible Core Hybrid journals, subject to the terms of the agreement and without an annual cap on the number of open access articles. The decision to publish open access will rest with the researcher and the research itself, giving researchers greater flexibility in choosing open access publishing and greater certainty in meeting their funders’ and institutions’ open access requirements.

A separate agreement applies the same approach to Cell Press. For institutions that subscribe to Cell Press Hybrid titles, reading access and open access publishing will cover the subscribed titles. The agreement will also have no annual cap on the number of open access articles and run from 2027 to 2029.

The agreement also extends eligibility for the first time beyond universities to national research and development agencies, opening participation to a substantial part of Japan’s publicly funded research base.

Japan is one of the world’s largest producers of scientific research. Wider open access publishing increases the international visibility of that research, supports collaboration across borders, and helps ensure Japanese findings inform science, practice and policy well beyond Japan. It also advances the objectives of the Japanese government’s National Policy on Promoting Open Access to Publicly Funded Scholarly Publications and Scientific Data.

The agreement follows extended discussions between OASE+ and Elsevier and reflects the findings of a survey of the needs of institutes that expressed interest in the Read and Publish agreement, as well as experience gained through the current framework.

Professor Yasuteru Shigeta of the University of Tsukuba, Chair of OASE+, said: “In 2024, OASE was established under the Japanese government's ‘National Policy on Promoting Open Access to Publicly Funded Scholarly Publications and Scientific Data’. Through collaboration with JUSTICE, OASE has since strengthened its framework as OASE+. This enhanced structure enabled constructive negotiations with Elsevier, building upon the achievements and experience gained through the pilot proposal implemented for JUSTICE through 2026. As a result, we are pleased that researchers will be able to publish open access in Core Hybrid journals without any cap on the number of articles, and that Cell Press Hybrid journals are now also available under a Read and Publish agreement. While there should be multiple valid approaches to advancing open access, we hope that this agreement will serve as one of those pathways and help enhance the visibility of research from Japan to create positive impact.”

Gemma Hersh, Senior Vice President, Sales and Commercial Director, Primary Research, Elsevier, said: “We are delighted that this new agreement with OASE+ will enable us to further develop our long-standing partnership with the Japanese research community. We are grateful to OASE+ and the institutions that expressed interest in the agreement for the collaboration and pragmatism they brought to our discussions, and for helping to establish a framework with broader reach across Japan’s research base. Japan’s research is of global importance, and this agreement will help ensure more of it is openly available to researchers around the world.”

Further information is available from OASE+ and on Elsevier’s open access agreements page.

Notes to editors

A Read and Publish agreement combines, in a single contract, the subscription fees research institutions paid publishers for access to scholarly articles with the fees for publishing articles open access (article publishing charges, or APCs).

Core Hybrid journals are subscription-based journals that also give authors the option to publish individual articles open access. Under the 2027 to 2029 agreement, open access publishing in eligible Core Hybrid journals is available without an annual open access publishing limit.

Cell Press Hybrid journals are subscription-based Cell Press journals that also give authors the option to publish individual articles open access. A companion agreement covering 2027 to 2029 applies to Cell Press Hybrid journals, under which reading access and open access publishing are aligned to the Cell Press Hybrid journals an institution subscribes to, without an annual open access publishing limit.

Institutions that have expressed interest will not necessarily enter into the agreement immediately. Each institution reviews the terms and decides independently whether to participate, and contract commencement dates will vary. Institutions wishing to participate must submit an expression of interest through OASE+. As of October 21, 167 institutions have expressed interest in the agreement with Elsevier.

About OASE+

OASE+ (Open Access for Scholarly Empowerment +) is a team supported by the Japanese government working to establish a collective bargaining framework, led by universities and other research institutions, for negotiations with academic publishers. Through discussions with global academic publishers, OASE+ aims to contribute to the realization of the Japanese government’s National Policy on Promoting Open Access to Publicly Funded Scholarly Publications and Scientific Data.

OASE+ succeeds the activities of OASE, which was established in 2024, and operates as a joint initiative involving the Japan Alliance of University Library Consortia for E-Resources (JUSTICE) and OASE to promote open access to scholarly publications. For more information, visit the OASE+ websiteopens in new tab/window.

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