BMJ and Jisc collaborate to support open access publishing across the UK

New transitional agreement will make UK research more accessible and sustainable

Healthcare knowledge provider, BMJ, and not for profit technology provider for research and education, Jisc, have agreed a ‘publish and read’ pilot as part of their commitment to help promote knowledge and speed up discoveries to improve healthcare across the UK.

The 12-month pilot agreement builds on a long-standing collaboration between the two organisations.

It grants Jisc members full read access to the BMJ’s standard collection of 28 specialist journals, and gives researchers at these member institutions the opportunity to publish funded articles on an open access basis in BMJ's Standard Collection of journals.

Under the agreement, research funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), Wellcome, and key medical charities in the UK can be published open access, helping to make UK research more accessible and sustainable.

As a global knowledge provider, BMJ has a long-standing reputation as a pioneering publisher and champion of open access research, while Jisc supports UK universities and research institutions in negotiating transformative agreements with publishers. Over half of all UK research output is covered by a Jisc-negotiated transformative agreement.

Claire Rawlinson, Publisher, at BMJ said: “This agreement is a demonstration of our commitment to the transition to an open access future, making the content of our world-leading collection of specialist journals available to as wide an audience as possible.” 

She added: “Through this agreement with Jisc, BMJ aims to continue, redefine and grow a longstanding partnership, whilst supporting open access publishing across UK medical universities. We look forward to working with Jisc on a shared goal of supporting the scientific community to help create a healthier world.”

Caren Milloy, director of licencing at Jisc says: “This pilot agreement is a tangible result of our joint mission of making open access the default for academic publishing and we’re delighted that the pilot allows our members to meet funder mandates during 2021.’

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08/02/21

Notes to Editors:
BMJ is a healthcare knowledge provider with a vision of helping to create a healthier world. We share knowledge and expertise to improve experiences and outcomes worldwide. See our full list of products and resources at bmj.com/company

About Jisc
Jisc’s vision is for the UK to be the most digitally advanced education and research nation in the world. At its heart is the super-fast national research and education network, Janet, with built-in cyber security protection.  Jisc also provides technology solutions for its 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.

For more information, contact faye.holst@jisc.ac.uk, or call 07443 983571.