Open access costs

Open access is based on the principle that the readers do not have to pay for access to scientific information. However, this does not mean that making that informaton freely available does not involve making costs. Publishers can charge publication fees for publishing an article (or book), also called Article Processing Charges (APCs).

If you, as an author, have to cover these costs depends on the conditions set by the journal in which you want to publish.

In the UU Journal Browser you will find in what journals you, as a Utrecht University researcher, can publish for free or against a discount.

I have to pay, what to do?

The available options for reimbursement of open access costs depend on the funder of your research project. Below you will find information for each funder about reimbursement of your costs.

1. Utrecht University or UMCU without external funding (the first flow of funds)

If you do not have external funding to cover the open access costs, make sure that your department will cover the costs or check the Journal Browser to see in which journals you can publish for free.

2. Dutch research Council (NWO) and ZonMw (Dutch Organisation for Health Research and Health Innovation) (the second flow of funds).

You can pay for the costs of open access publishing from the project budget of the funder. Publishing in a full open access journal is a condition for reimbursement.

In addition NWO has a separate fund for open access books.

More about funding by NWO and ZonMw.

3. European Union (third flow of funds)

You can pay for the costs of open access publishing from your project budget. This applies to articles in full open access journals and hybrid journals, but also to open access books.

In the case of projects that are part of the Horizon Europe programme costs of articles in hybrid journals can no longer be paid from the project budget.

More about the EU as research funder.