JMIR Publications Announces Open Access Agreement with Jisc

(Philadelphia/Toronto, April 7, 2022) JMIR Publications, the leading publisher of digital health research, and Jisc, the UK’s digital body for education and research, have entered a two-year pilot agreement offering member institutions unlimited open access (OA) publishing in the growing JMIR family of journals for a flat fee.

This agreement is an important step to preserve author choice in light of increasing consolidation within the publishing ecosystem, allowing UK institutions to support both their researchers and independent OA publishing in the rapidly growing digital health space. 

The collaboration between JMIR and Jisc – incorporating feedback from consortium members – has produced a deal that combines a seamless process for authors and excellent value in article processing charges (APCs) for librarians, while encouraging the innovation JMIR is known for. 

In addition to a simple pathway to publication in high-impact journals and best-in-class copyediting offered to all JMIR authors, institutions enrolling in the agreement will also benefit from: 

• Immediate compliance with funder mandates including Research Excellence Framework (REF)
• Unlimited publishing in Year 1 
• Optional enrollment in Plan P (including free unlimited review of preprints)
• Annual APC increase capped for the length of the agreement
• Straightforward reporting on spend/publications (with the optional use of the OA Switchboard)

JMIR Publications is pleased to work with Jisc in providing this option to member institutions and recognizes the important work Jisc does in delivering the best possible value for institutions, librarians and authors. Jisc and JMIR share a commitment to leveraging digital technologies in scholarly communications to meaningfully advance the transition to OA.

Anna Vernon, Jisc’s head of portfolio: content licensing, said:

“Jisc is committed to helping its members publish and provide open access to research by securing deals on their behalf with a wide range of publishers. This pilot agreement will enable UK researchers to publish in their journals for a flat fee. From digital health in the broadest sense: ranging from apps, wearables, to medical informatics and more traditional disciplines, such as cardiology and oncology, this agreement will lower barriers to publishing.”

Adrian Stanley, General Manager at JMIR Publications, said:

“We’re delighted to partner with an organization as innovative and respected as Jisc. This is an exciting opportunity to protect diversity in the publishing landscape and to offer members a simple path to OA publishing in high-impact journals.” 

If you are interested in learning more about the agreement and how your Jisc-affiliated institution can participate in this agreement please reach out to us at jisc-partnerships@jmir.org and copy Harriet Notman (harriet.notman@jisc.ac.uk). Are you a non-Jisc affiliated author or librarian? JMIR would love to hear from you as well! Please reach out to us at partnerships@jmir.org. 

About Jisc

Jisc’s vision is for the UK to be a world leader in technology for education and research. It owns and operates the super-fast national research and education network, Janet, with built-in cyber security protection.  Jisc also provides technology solutions for members (colleges, universities and research centres) and customers (public sector bodies), helps members save time and money by negotiating sector-wide deals and provides advice and practical assistance on digital technology. Jisc is funded by the UK higher and further education and research funding bodies and member institutions.  

About JMIR Publications

JMIR Publications is a leading, born-digital, open access publisher of 30+ academic journals and other innovative scientific communication products that focus on medicine, health, and technology. Its flagship journal, the Journal of Medical Internet Research, is the leading digital health journal globally in terms of quality and visibility in the medical informatics domain and is the largest journal in the field.