Ball State University Libraries is proud to announce a new transformative agreement with Cambridge University Press, a global leader in academic publishing. This partnership marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to support open access, empower Ball State scholars, and expand the reach and impact of their research.

A transformative agreement is a progressive publishing model that shifts traditional subscription-based access toward open access (OA) publishing. Instead of paying separately for access to journals and for researchers to publish their work openly, these agreements integrate both functions into one comprehensive contract. The result? More open scholarship, less administrative burden, and increased visibility of university research.

Through this new agreement, Ball State-affiliated authors can now publish their articles open access in over 437 peer-reviewed Cambridge University Press journals—without paying individual Article Processing Charges (APCs). At the same time, our students, faculty, and staff will retain full access to Cambridge’s robust library of scholarly journal content.

This partnership advances several key priorities for Ball State University Libraries:

• Championing Open Access: We believe publicly funded research should be publicly available. This agreement helps dismantle financial barriers to knowledge, allowing scholars worldwide to access and build upon Ball State research.
• Reducing Costs for Authors: By covering APCs under the institutional agreement, Ball State authors can publish openly without facing individual publishing fees.
• Amplifying Research Impact: Open access content is more visible, cited more frequently, and has broader reach, both within and beyond academia.

All current Ball State faculty, staff, and graduate students who serve as the corresponding author on a manuscript accepted to a Cambridge University Press journal are eligible to publish open access under this agreement. No separate application or payment is required—eligibility is verified during the publication process.

This transformative agreement with Cambridge University Press is part of a larger strategy at Ball State University Libraries to align collection development and scholarly communication with the values of openness, equity, and sustainability. This initial agreement serves as a foundation for similar efforts being made with other publishers that supports Ball State’s broader mission to foster innovation and public impact through scholarship.

We are excited to work alongside our academic community to fully leverage this opportunity and explore new frontiers in open publishing.

For more information about the agreement, eligible journals, or how to publish under this model, please contact Emma Giles, Scholarly Communication and Affordable Learning Librarian.

You can also view the related libguide to learn about best practices, find resources for journal editors, and more.