Biochemical Society and Vanderbilt Heard Libraries sign read-and-publish agreement in support of open access

The U.K.-based Biochemical Society and Vanderbilt University’s Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries have announced a read-and-publish agreement to support the open sharing of research and knowledge across the molecular biosciences. This agreement enables Vanderbilt-affiliated authors to maximize the readership, dissemination and citation of their research through the guarantee of uncapped, fee-free open access publishing in journals published by Portland Press, the Biochemical Society’s publishing arm.

Founded in the United Kingdom in 1911, the Biochemical Society has been at the forefront of advancing cellular and molecular bioscience for more than a century. As the society’s publisher, Portland Press works in partnership with researchers, institutions and funders to publish world-leading research and reviews across its portfolio of six journals, which include the flagship Biochemical Journal as well as Clinical Science and Biochemical Society Transactions.

“We are extremely pleased to launch this agreement, which furthers the open access goals of both the Biochemical Society and Vanderbilt University in support of sustainable and equitable publishing models and open science,” said Nigel Hooper, professor of cell biology at the University of Manchester and chair of the Portland Press Board. “Most importantly, it offers all Vanderbilt researchers a fast, efficient and fee-free route to open access publishing. This offers the best means of maximizing the dissemination and impact of their work in any one of the society’s high-quality research or review journals. In addition, read access to the full archives of the portfolio further enhances the benefits of this agreement.”

With approximately 5.4 million worldwide article views in 2022 alone, Biochemical Society/Portland Press journals encompass the depth and breadth of the molecular biosciences, from translating basic research into medical insights to foundational overviews of new and emerging topics.

“Open access publishing agreements such as this are hugely helpful to our faculty and their research programs,” said Charles R. Sanders, vice dean of the Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences, Aileen M. Lange and Annie Mary Lyle Chair in Cardiovascular Research, and professor of biochemistry. “Grant budgets are always very tight, so when faculty can save money by not having to pay publishing fees, they have more funds for doing research and supporting their teams.”

Vanderbilt University Librarian Jon Shaw agreed. “This collaboration will help ensure that Vanderbilt’s preeminent research in the biosciences is more freely accessible to scholars, practitioners and communities worldwide,” he said. “We are proud to partner with the Biochemical Society and Portland Press in this vital effort, which broadens the university’s global impact and connects its scholarship with researchers, policymakers and international audiences.”

The Biochemical Society and the Heard Libraries teamed with the publishing representative KGL Accucoms to finalize the agreement, which takes effect immediately.

“We are thrilled to have facilitated this successful partnership between Vanderbilt University and the Biochemical Society/Portland Press to bring unrestricted, fee-free open access publishing to more researchers and to continue to eliminate barriers to OA publishing,” said Ellen Endres, KGL Accucoms regional sales manager in North America.

Vanderbilt authors can learn more about the Heard Libraries’ agreements supporting open access publishing in this research guide. Questions about open access publishing should be directed to Vanderbilt’s subject librarians.