Royal Society confirms full open access for subscription journals under S2O
The Royal Society has confirmed that its eight subscription journals will transition to full open access in 2026, following continued support from libraries and international subscribers for its Subscribe to Open (S2O) strategy.
As a result, newly published research in titles including Proceedings of the Royal Society and Philosophical Transactions – the world’s oldest scientific journal – will be freely accessible to readers worldwide. Article publishing charges (APCs) for researchers publishing in the S2O journals will also be removed, aligning with open access mandates from research funders.
Subscribe to Open is designed as a straightforward and cost-effective route for publishers to transition subscription titles to open access. The model depends on ongoing backing from library subscribers, who collectively enable content to be made openly available.
The move represents a significant milestone in the Society’s 360-year history of scientific publishing and forms part of its broader commitment to ensuring high-quality research is open and accessible.
Under the transition, the most recent ten years of research content will become free to read. Existing subscribers will gain access to an additional 20 years of archival content for the journals they subscribe to, while retaining perpetual access to the years previously purchased.
The Royal Society intends to repeat its S2O offer in future years and will continue to work with subscribers and consortia on Read and Publish agreements. These agreements provide an alternative open access route, removing charges to read and publish across the Society’s journals while supporting long-term financial sustainability.
In parallel, the Royal Society Open Access Equity scheme will continue to waive article processing charges for researchers in more than 100 low- and middle-income countries publishing in the Society’s fully open access titles, Royal Society Open Science and Open Biology.
Rod Cookson, Royal Society Publishing Director said:
“We are grateful to our passionate international community of libraries, research institutes and consortia who have backed our Subscribe to Open plan. With their support, we are able to make all our research journals open access this year.
“The simplicity and equity of S2O in making the latest research available to all, regardless of institution or subscription, made it a natural choice for Royal Society Publishing. This will enable the Society to fully deliver on its mission to promote outstanding science and share it for the benefit of researchers and people all around the world.”