Plan S compliance for Springer Nature authors

How can I comply when publishing in a Springer Nature journal?

At Springer Nature, we are enabling our authors to comply with the requirements of Plan S through gold OA publication, which means that the published version of record will be immediately accessible on publication under a CC BY licence.

We are delighted that a gold OA option now exists in all of our research journals and that we have a number of agreements in place to support authors with OA publishing:

• Fully OA journals: Springer Nature publishes over 600 fully OA journals that publish all research via the immediate gold OA route.

• Transformative Journals: enabling immediate gold OA options for primary research in over 1,700 titles, including Nature and the Nature research journals.

• Transformative Agreements: collaborating with funders/institutions to enable centralised funding for OA payments for authors in participating/eligible institutions. The majority of Springer Nature hybrid journals are covered by Transformative Agreements.

We are also pleased that cOAlition S is clear that where immediate open access to the final published version exists as an option then their authors will be encouraged to select that route as it is their preferred option that the version of record is made open access, not least because “it is...the version maintained and curated by the publisher, who has the responsibility to ensure that any corrections or retractions are applied in a timely and consistent way." Gold OA is also needed to deliver the broader transition to open research. If your research article is supported by a funder with immediate OA requirements and you are submitting to a Springer Nature journal that offers a choice of gold OA or subscription publishing then you must select gold OA and choose a compatible CC licence at the point of acceptance in order to comply. For authors selecting the subscription publication route our standard self-archiving policies will continue to apply, including embargo periods, which are not compatible with Plan S requirements for immediate OA and CC BY licensing.

Which papers are subject to Plan S requirements?

cOAlition S members are applying Plan S requirements according to different timeframes. At this point in time, ten members are applying these requirements to new submissions and a further three are applying them to all new grants awarded after the 1st of January 2021.

If you are submitting a primary research article to a Springer Nature journal which has been supported by one of the funders below, it may be subject to Plan S requirements, and we can support you to ensure you are able to comply.

*Articles submitted by HHMI lab heads with a major contribution from an HHMI lab, see policy for details

**Part of WHO

The remaining cOAlition S members are either applying requirements to the outputs of new funding calls awarded from January 2021, or the timeframe has not yet been announced, meaning that it may be some time before these grants result in submissions to journals. You can view a full table with timescales on the Plan S website.

How do I fund the APC for gold OA publication?

For articles made immediately accessible via the gold OA route, an article processing charge (APC) is paid to cover the services provided by the journal. It is a core Plan S principle that APCs, where applicable, are paid by funders or research institutions, not individual authors. In many cases, for Springer Nature authors, APCs could be covered by a Transformative or OA Agreement funded by their institution. Sometimes, authors will need to rely on the funder of their research or their institution to provide funds for the relevant APC. 

You can find details below of the publishing routes available that are commonly funded for cOAlition S authors; authors who are UKRI-funded should refer to the FAQ below on UKRI’s OA funding.

*As of January 2021, a small number of journals published by Springer Nature have not yet adopted Transformative Journal status, but may do so in future, so authors are advised to check Transformative Journal status immediately before submitting.

Are Springer Nature journals compliant with UKRI’s OA policy requirements?

UKRI-funded authors submitting to Springer Nature fully OA journals or hybrid journals within our Jisc transformative agreement (TA) can publish across the Springer Nature portfolio and meet the OA requirements of UKRI’s policy.

Who can I speak to for more information?

If you have any questions about Plan S compliance that aren’t answered here, please contact our OA funding and policy support service for assistance.