New search tool supports open access publishing

January 13, 2026

Faculty and researchers at all three U-M campuses now have access to a new tool to help them find journals that have article processing charge (APC) agreements with the U-M Library and its institutional partners.

The search tool provides the U-M community, including Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses, with comprehensive information about discounts and fee waivers for publishing open access in more than 12,600 journals with APC agreements managed by the U-M Library and the BTAA (Big Ten Academic Alliance).

The search tool offers a researcher-friendly interface, and returns up-to-date information in an easy-to-search, researcher-focused format. Search results include agreement information by publisher, important eligibility details, discount or waiver amount, covered article types, and years of coverage. 

"This new tool provides transparency and clarity about open access publishing costs and eligibility for researchers, and reduces barriers to open access publishing by centralizing agreements and supporting equity and wider dissemination of research," said Nancy Allee, director of Taubman Health Sciences Library & STEM. Allee, who holds a joint appointment in the Medical School's Department of Learning Health Sciences, chairs the Open Ecosystem Committee (OEC), whose initiatives are aimed at supporting the library's investments in open scholarly resources.

These investments continue, particularly in the form of a growing number of subscription contracts with publishers that include discounts on APCs for U-M-affiliated authors. These agreements become increasingly important as more and more funders require researchers to share their findings with the public. 

Prospective authors can search by journal title, and filter the search by publisher, campus, and coverage. Results link out to eligibility details, discount or waiver amount, covered article types, and years of coverage. 

Visit the library website for more information about discounts and waivers for U-M authors, or to learn about other ways the library and the university support open access publishing.