Under a new deal, researchers from Max Planck institutes may publish their work in Nature journals so that it is immediately accessible to the public, Science reports.
Through this agreement, known as a transformative agreement, authors affiliated with participating institutes will be able to publish open-access papers in Nature journals at no cost to them as well as freely read any Nature-branded journal. According to Max Planck, the cost to participating institutes will be based on a tiered pricing structure that takes their current subscriptions and research output into account. These fees, Science adds, will cover the €9,500 (US $11,200) that Nature estimates each open-access article costs.
"Having the opportunity to publish original research articles openly in such a highly selective and reputable journal as Nature will be an enormous opportunity for scientists in Germany," Klaus Blaum, the vice president of the Max Planck Society's Scientific Council for Chemistry, Physics and Technology, says in a statement. He adds that it will also serve as a "benefit for researchers everywhere who will be able to learn from and build on their findings."
Science notes that this agreement follows Springer Nature, the parent company of the Nature group of journals, signing a similar agreement with Project DEAL in 2019, though that deal excluded Nature-branded titles.