IOP Publishing expands APC discounts and waivers
IOP Publishing (IOPP) has expanded its article publication charge (APC) discount and waiver programme in an effort to make open access (OA) publishing accessible to a wider global community of authors.
The revised programme now covers the publisher’s entire proprietary portfolio of open access and hybrid journals and extends APC support to authors in 122 economies through a new three-tier discount structure.
Under the scheme, authors from eligible low-income economies will receive a 100% APC waiver, while those from lower-middle-income economies will receive a 70% discount. For the first time, the programme also includes authors from upper-middle-income economies, who will be eligible for a 30% APC discount.
IOP Publishing said the expanded framework is designed to simplify access to financial support and remove barriers to publishing.
Discounts and waivers will be automatically applied when all authors listed on a manuscript are based in a qualifying country. Where the corresponding author and the majority of co-authors meet the eligibility criteria, support can also be granted on request at submission, allowing collaborative research teams spanning multiple institutions and geographies to benefit.
The publisher said the changes are intended to broaden participation in scholarly publishing and support greater global representation in physics research.
Miriam Maus, Chief Publishing Officer at IOP Publishing, said: “OA cannot be considered truly open when parts of the global research community are unable to participate for financial reasons. Creating more opportunities for researchers around the world strengthens physics as a discipline and ensures discoveries reflect a truly global community. Our mission is to expand the world of physics and broadening access to publishing through discounts and waivers is a vital part of enabling that.”