University of Toronto agrees to Open Access publishing deal with PLOS Medicine and PLOS Biology

The University of Toronto (U of T) has signed on to participate in a three-year open access agreement with the Public Library of Science (PLOS) through the Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN). 

Under the terms of this agreement, which began January 1, 2021, U of T researchers benefit from unlimited publishing in PLOS Medicine and PLOS Biology without having to pay article processing fees. 

This deal is part of the ongoing strategy by the University of Toronto Libraries (UTL) to support initiatives that work towards immediate and barrier-free access to research. “This is another step in the direction of making U of T and Canadian research as widely available as possible,” says Larry Alford, Chief Librarian of the University of Toronto Libraries. “We look forward to continuing to support innovative publishing initiatives with our Canadian partners.” 

This deal is part of PLOS’ Community Action Publishing (CAP) program, a new collective action publishing model that shifts open access publishing costs from authors to research institutions using a formula based on the prior publishing history of institutionally affiliated corresponding and contributing authors. CRKN participating members, which includes U of T, are PLOS’ first Canadian partners to the CAP program.   

For more information explaining how this agreement works: 

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About the Public Library of Science 

PLOS is a nonprofit, open access publisher empowering researchers to accelerate progress in science and medicine by leading a transformation in research communication. Since our founding in 2001, PLOS journals have helped break boundaries in research communication to provide more opportunities, choice, and context for researchers and readers. For more information, visit http://www.plos.org. 

About the Canadian Research Knowledge Network 

For our member organizations and the diverse communities they serve, CRKN empowers researchers, educators, and society with greater access to the world’s research and Canada’s preserved documentary heritage, now and for future generations. We deliver value to academic libraries, heritage organizations, and knowledge seekers within Canada in the following ways: 

  • Represent our membership in large-scale licensing and content acquisition activities 

  • Collaborate to expand and enrich the digital knowledge ecosystem in Canada and the world 

  • Advocate for fair and sustainable access to public research and content; 

  • Support the digital infrastructure required to preserve and access critical Canadian content 

  • Mobilize our membership to transform scholarly communications in Canada 

Originally published: January 26, 2021