Cambridge University Press adds CC-BY option for OA articles

Articles in Cambridge University Press' open-access journals can now be published with a CC-BY licence. This Creative Commons attribution licence allows users and readers to download, read, re-use and re-distribute freely, as long as they acknowledge the original article.

Authors publishing open-access papers in the press' hybrid journals will have the option of a CC-BY licence, but they will also be offered a choice of other CC licences (including CC-BY-NC-SA ‘Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike’ and CC-BY-NC-ND ‘Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives’). This option is also extended to full open-access journals where the author's funders or institutional policies do not restrict author's to CC-BY use, says the press.

Managing director of Cambridge Journals Simon Ross said: 'We are keen to offer our authors a range of options for their publishing needs. By using the CC-BY licence for OA articles our authors will be able to comply with the updated policies of funders such as the Wellcome Trust.  But this is an environment in flux and a "one-size fits all" solution is contentious in the global markets and disciplines in which we participate. Authors have requested other CC licences and we feel it is appropriate to offer choice and flexibility. Additionally, our long-standing green archiving policy offers an existing alternative route to maximising access and dissemination  of our publications.'

Cambridge Journals publishes five wholly open-access journals and more than 150 hybrid journals.