Maths move towards ‘golden open access’
Making the switch to open access has consequences for the way inwhich peer reviewing is organised. Cambridge is one of the first tofollow the recent advice from the ‘Finch Group’, a report mappingout the route towards a ‘golden open access model’.
The Finch document
Cambridge has established the Forum of Mathematics to offer OAjournals to the mathematics community with the same high levels ofpeer review process as traditional subscription journals, withpeer-review standards set by an international editorial board ofthe highest calibre.
Waive publication costs
For the first three years Cambridge University Press will waivepublication costs, though authors with access to specific funds forOA publication will be encouraged to pay a low charge of£500/$750.
This project has been under development for two years andCambridge has earmarked significant investment to provide OA modelsto disciplines that do not enjoy a funding tradition similar to thelife and biomedical sciences.
Managing Editor, Professor Rob Kirby, said on the CambridgeUniversity website: “The traditional journal subscription model isunder pressure, owing to high costs and a lack of openaccess. It is great that Cambridge is leading the way bystarting high-quality open access journals and underwriting thecosts for an initial three year period. “
Support from the top names in mathematics
Professor Tim Gowers, a founding member of the editorial boardis delighted to support the venture. “We urgently need new ways ofdisseminating mathematics that are appropriate for the internet agebut that preserve what we value in the present system. The Forum ofMathematics is a very promising experiment in that direction, and Ishall do what I can to help it to succeed.”
Managing Director of Cambridge Journals Simon Rosssaid: “We’re excited that this project has attracted thesupport of the top names in mathematics. Our commitment is topublish the best research in the discipline and in order to do thiswe need to provide a range of publishing models. The crucialelement for this project is that we are providing stability for theearly years to build a sustainable model. Investment is asufficient condition for this aim but quality is the necessity, andthat is where we are all agreed.”
Available from 2013
The Forum of Mathematics journals will be hosted on Cambridge’sindustry leading platform, Cambridge Journals Online (CJO). Contentwill be available online from the beginning of 2013. All articleswill be handled according to the highest standards of peer-reviewand produced to the high quality production values associated withCambridge University Press. Strong research papers from allparts of mathematics will be welcomed. Pi will be the home forpapers of the broadest interest and Sigma the home for morespecialised articles.
