By Andrew Richard Albanese, Editor-in-Chief
Cambridge University Press has announced a significant milestone in its transition to open access, reporting that 75% of articles published in Cambridge journals in 2026 will be open access, and 50% of its journals are now fully open access.In a post, Chris Bennett, Global Commercial Director, Academic at Cambridge University Press & Assessment, said the key has been Cambridge’s focus on converting established journals, rather than launching new open access titles or expanding hybrid models. More than 130 Cambridge journals have transitioned to full open access over the past three years, the press reported, with 18 more set for later this year.
Chris Bennett
Furthermore, Cambridge reps said current plans will see “the vast majority” of Cambridge journals become open access by 2032, under a “a paced transition designed to protect the research ecosystem, societies, and institutional partners.” Cambridge reps noted that the press’s open access offerings represented just 10% of its articles eight years ago, in 2018.
“Sustainable OA isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon run together with libraries, funders and societies in support of the research communities we all serve,” Bennett said in his statement, emphasizing that Cambridge’s transformative agreement model is the “engine driving whole-journal flips and taking the scholarly record into the open, permanently.”
Cambridge reps said that the press’s transformative agreement model was developed in partnership with libraries and consortia to prevent problems have plagued the transition for others—such as so-called “double dipping”—where libraries continue to pay subscription fees alongside authors paying to publish their work. Under Cambridge’s model, publishing costs are “agreed up front,” and where a hybrid situation does exist, the model calls for subscription fees to be reduced in proportion to the cost of author publishing fees. Cambridge’s model also includes pricing transparency policies.
In addition, to encourage equitable participation, the press has also chartered the Cambridge Open Equity Initiative, which waives publication fees for authors in more than 100 “low-and-middle-income countries.”
“When we use the word transformative, we mean what we say,” Bennett said. “As a sector, we must move beyond polarization to make transformation happen. Publishers face challenges in making the transition, which is complex, and if we do it too quickly the foundation that trusted academic publishing is built on will be weakened. But at the same time, we must all commit to completing this transition in a timely fashion and in a way that is sustainable for everyone.”