PLOS Expands Footprint in Europe with a Publishing Agreement in Italy
1 May 2023
SAN FRANCISCO —The Public Library of Science (PLOS) is pleased to announce an agreement with the University of Padua to facilitate unlimited publishing across all 12 PLOS titles with no fees for researchers. This agreement encompasses PLOS’ three innovative publishing models, ensuring researchers from the University of Padua to benefit from frictionless, fee-free publishing with PLOS. This agreement represents another in the Europe, following agreements in Germany, Sweden, Ireland and the UK (Jisc).
“We are excited to expand our footprint in Italy with these new publishing models, which enable more researchers to participate in advancing Open Science,” said Sara Rouhi, Director of Strategic Partnerships for PLOS. “The University of Padua shares our commitment to make scholarly publishing and research open and equitable for the benefit of all.”
“In recent years, our university has implemented various policies aimed at making scientific research open and accessible. In accordance with an historical tradition of cultural openness and freedom, represented by our motto: ‘Universa Universis Patavina Libertas’, shared by scientists like Galileo Galilei, the University of Padua has identified one of its main strategic objectives as the support of open science and open access. The agreement with PLOS fits into that same viewpoint and we are very pleased to be the first University in Italy to sign it,” said prof. Monica Salvadori, Vice Rector of Historical and Cultural Heritage and President of the Open Science Commission, University of Padua. “We are sure that our researchers will now have more opportunities to lead scientific advancements in a more open and reliable way.”
All PLOS journals are underpinned by institutional business models that move beyond the article processing charge (APC) to ensure more equitable and regionally appropriate ways to support Open Access publishing. PLOS’ institutional models are Community Action Publishing (CAP)[1], Flat Fees [2], and the Global Equity model[3].
“I was thrilled to have collaborated on the very first agreement in Italy between the University of Padua and PLOS. This agreement allows the University of Padua to publish in all of PLOS’ journals till the end of the year,” said Barbara Valcelli, Accucoms Regional Sales Manager, Italy. “I was happy to have facilitated conversations between PLOS and University of Padua to reach this important agreement which will play a key role in making scientific research at the University of Padua open and accessible.”
The University of Padua joins a growing list of institutions including the Big Ten Academic Alliance, the University of California system, CRL and NERL, Jisc (including University College London, Imperial College London, University of Manchester), the Sachsen and TIB consortia’s in Germany, and the Canadian Research Knowledge Network among others have decided to support their researchers through publishing deals with PLOS.
The Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP) recently honored PLOS as the 2021 co-winner for Innovation in Publishing for its Community Action Publishing model.
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 University of Padua
Dating back to 1222, the University of Padua is a leading University in Italy and has a long tradition and consolidated reputation for scientific excellence. As a multi-disciplinary institute of higher education, the University aims to provide its students with professional training and a solid cultural background.
Intertwined within the story of the University of Padua are the many illustrious figures who lived, studied and taught in this city. Such famous names included those who have changed the cultural and scientific history of humanity, from Copernicus to Vesalius, Galileo, to William Harvey, to the more modern Tullio Levi-Civita, Concetto Marchesi, Giuseppe ‘Bepi’ Colombo and many others.
The University of Padua has been a proud pioneer of several endeavours, including the first university botanical garden (1545, a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the first permanent anatomical theatre (1594) and in 1678, Elena Lucrezia Cornaro becomes the first woman in the world to receive a Doctor of Philosophy degree. https://www.unipd.it/en/university-padua
[1] Participating journals include PLOS Biology, PLOS Medicine and PLOS Sustainability and Transformation
[2] Participating journals include PLOS Digital Health, PLOS ONE, PLOS Computational Biology, PLOS Pathogens, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases and PLOS Genetics
[3] Participating journals include PLOS Climate, PLOS Water, PLOS Global Public Health