Birkbeck academic pioneers open access with launch of Open Journals Collective
Built on years of research by Birkbeck scholars, the new initiative aims to reshape academic publishing by offering a more sustainable and equitable open-access model for journals around the world.
At a time of growing financial pressure on universities, a Birkbeck researcher has helped launch the Open Journals Collective (OJC), a not-for-profit initiative designed to transform how academic research is published and accessed.
The OJC formally launched on 31 March 2025 and brings together academics, librarians, and university presses from the UK, US, and Canada to create a sustainable, community-owned publishing model. It builds directly on the success of the Open Library of the Humanities (OLH), an open access platform co-founded in 2015 by Dr Caroline Edwards and Professor Martin Eve, based in Birkbeck’s School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication.
Dr Edwards commented: “For too long, universities have been locked into costly agreements that funnel public money into commercial publishing giants. The Open Journals Collective aims to build a fairer publishing ecosystem that serves researchers, libraries, and the public.”
UK university libraries currently spend up to 60% of their acquisition budgets on journal subscriptions from just five major publishers. As institutional budgets face increasing strain, the OJC offers a realistic, research-backed alternative. It provides journals with the tools and support needed to transition to open access - including editorial management systems, typesetting, and archiving - without relying on expensive article processing charges (APCs) or restrictive licensing deals.
The OJC is built on a diamond open access model, meaning that neither authors nor readers pay to publish or access content. Instead, funding is drawn from a global library membership consortium, enabling journals to remain free and independent.
This approach, proven through the OLH’s success in supporting over 30 humanities journals, also helps reduce financial and administrative strain on editorial teams, many of which are volunteer-led and under-resourced.
The OJC will begin publishing its first titles in January 2026, initially focusing on journals in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, with plans to broaden its remit in future.