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Open Access publishing

Open access is a publishing model that aims to reduce barriers to access to research. Learn about your options and opportunities as an author.

Library resources

  • OA Author Fund

Supports eligible RRU researchers (current core faculty, full-time staff, and graduate students working under the supervision of a faculty member) who wish to publish in eligible fully Open Access (Gold OA) journals and who are required to pay an Article Processing Fee (APC) to do so and do not have other sources of funding that can be applied to these charges. Visit the OA Fund page for more information.

  • VIURRSpace for self-archiving and showcasing publications

VIURRSpace is RRU’s open access institutional repository for showcasing RRU research by making it openly and widely available. VIURRSpace aims to capture publications and other research outputs appropriate for permanent retention. Many major publishers allow authors to self-archive (deposit) a pre-copyedited version of their publication in their institution’s repository. Interested in depositing your work in VIURRSpace? Visit our guide here.

Elsevier resources

  • Discount on APC for ScienceDirect journals

As RRU is a CRKN member institution, RRU authors receive a 20% discount on article processing charges for Elsevier ScienceDirect hybrid and open access journals. Cell PressLancet, and some other society-owned journals are excluded. Contact the Library for more information.

SAGE resources

  • Waiver of article processing charge (APC) for SAGE Choice journals

Canadian Research Knowledge Network has reached a transformative “read and publish” agreement with SAGE Publishing. Through this agreement, authors affiliated with participating CRKN institutions may publish their articles as open access with no Article Processing Charge (APC). As RRU is a CRKN member institution, RRU authors receive a waiver of the APC to publish open access in over 900 SAGE Choice journals (journals excluded from SAGE Choice are listed here). 

The SAGE Choice program offers authors the option to make their articles freely available upon publication in most subscription-based SAGE Journals. It also enables authors to comply with funding body requirements, where publishing research papers open access is a stipulation of funding, while still publishing their article in the subscription journal of their choice” (SAGE, 2021).

CRKN is targeting other major journal publishers to reach similar agreements as renewals arise, so please continue to check with the library for updates.

  • Discount on APC for SAGE gold open access journals

Gold open access (pay to publish) journals automatically and immediately make their articles available online at no cost to readers. As RRU is a CRKN member institution, RRU authors receive a 40% discount on article processing charges for SAGE gold open access journals.  Click here to see the title list of participating SAGE gold journals. 

Processing of the 40% discount for gold open access journals and the APC waiver for SAGE Choice journals is done automatically via the SAGE Open Access Portal (SOAP) when corresponding authors identify themselves as affiliated to a participating CRKN institution

SOAP is a dashboard for authors to submit their article, select a copyright license, assign a bill payer (if applicable), and view article status. A Creative Commons license will be applied to open access publications unless a different license is requested by the author. If an author is eligible for more than one discount for gold journals, discounts cannot be combined but the highest discount available will be applied to the APC due.

Wiley resources

  • Waiver of article processing charge (APC) for Wiley Hybrid OA journals - new!

Canadian Research Knowledge Network has signed a two-year transformative read-and-publish agreement with Wiley. This agreement allows authors affiliated with participating CRKN institutions to publish their articles as open access in Wiley hybrid open access journals with no Article Processing Charge (APC). Articles accepted for publication during the term of the agreement with have their APC waived.

This agreement is effective as of January 16, 2023. This agreement does not include waivers for articles published in gold open access Wiley journals. For more information on hybrid open access and a list of hybrid OA Wiley titles, see Wiley's Author Services site.

Processing of the APC waiver is done automatically via the Wiley Author Services Dashboad when corresponding authors identify themselves as affiliated to a participating CRKN institution.