Duke University Libraries and the Duke Medical Center Library & Archives are currently engaged in a two-year publishing agreement with PLOS, a non-profit scientific Open Access publisher with global reach. This agreement provides authors affiliated with Duke University, Duke Health, and Duke Kunshan University with unlimited, no-fee publishing in all twelve PLOS journals. Coverage includes articles accepted between January 3, 2023 and December 31, 2024, with all published articles being immediately Open Access and free to read for everyone.
The PLOS agreement will expand publishing opportunities for all Duke authors by eliminating expensive Article-Processing-Charges (APC), which are usually paid by authors and range from $800 to $5,300 per article for PLOS journals. Duke researchers will immediately be able to make their scholarship freely accessible to the world, helping to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion for both authors and readers.
This is the third transformative open access agreement for the Medical Center Library & Archives demonstrating our commitment to supporting innovative, sustainable, and equitable scholarly publishing models. The other two agreements are with Cambridge University Press and the journals BMJ Case Reports and BMJ Open Quality.
Details for Duke Authors
Who is eligible to participate?
Any corresponding author or contributing author affiliated with Duke University, Duke Health, and Duke Kunshan University is covered under this agreement. This includes faculty, staff, students, and residents.
What journals are included?
This agreement covers articles published in 12 PLOS journals: PLOS Biology, PLOS Climate, PLOS Computational Biology, PLOS Digital Health, PLOS Genetics, PLOS Global Public Health, PLOS Medicine, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, PLOS ONE, PLOS Pathogens, PLOS Sustainability and Transformation, PLOS Mental Health, PLOS Complex Systems, and PLOS Water.
How does the agreement work?
- Beginning January 3, 2023, the PLOS agreement will provide Duke-affiliated corresponding authors with unlimited, no-fee publishing in all twelve PLOS journals.
- While there are different business models for publication fees for PLOS journals, this agreement ensures that Duke corresponding authors will pay no fee for any article accepted by any PLOS journal.
- Though the author experience will vary slightly according to the three different business models for PLOS journals, this agreement will cover all publication fees regardless of the business model. The three models are:
- PLOS Community Action Publishing (CAP) includes PLOS Medicine, PLOS Biology, and PLOS Sustainability and Transformation
- Flat Fees includes PLOS ONE, PLOS Genetics, PLOS Computational Biology, PLOS Pathogens, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, and PLOS Digital Health
- PLOS Global Equity model includes PLOS Water, PLOS Climate, and PLOS Global Public Health
- The agreement also ensures a 25% article publication fee discount for Duke-affiliated contributing authors for PLOS Biology, PLOS Medicine, and PLOS Sustainability and Transformation (CAP titles).
How many articles can I publish for free under this agreement?
Publication is unlimited through the length of the agreement.
How do I participate?
- Use your Duke email account when submitting the manuscript.
- List Duke University as your institutional affiliation.
- For the CAP titles (PLOS Biology, PLOS Medicine, and PLOS Sustainability and Transformation), authors should take no action until the article is accepted.
- For the Flat Fee and Global Equity titles (PLOS Climate, PLOS Computational Biology, PLOS Digital Health, PLOS Genetics, PLOS Global Public Health, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, PLOS ONE, PLOS Pathogens, and PLOS Water)
- You will need to properly self-identify during manuscript submission.
- At the payment step, accept all charges. If you have used your Duke email account, you will not receive an invoice. If you end up receiving an invoice in error, you may reach out to the PLOS customer service.
- For more information, see PLOS Publishing FAQs.
For additional details, see Getting Published: Open Access Options at Duke. If you have any questions about this agreement, please contact mclibrary-collections@duke.edu.