Penn Libraries partner with Wiley Publishing to expand open access publishing and research

Penn Libraries and publishing company Wiley have entered an agreement to provide “Penn-affiliated authors” with the ability to publish articles through Wiley’s hybrid system without the typically associated processing fees.

Effective from 2024 to 2026, this three-year agreement is structured to allow Penn students, professors, and any other researchers associated with the University the ability to publish their work in Wiley’s global academic and extensive library, consisting of upwards of 1,600 online and physical journals.

In addition to relieving the financial costs involved with publishing research, this agreement between Wiley and the University also enables Penn researchers to access the journals under Wiley’s company free of cost. Wiley's associated fees can range in the thousands, and Wiley's journals cover numerous fields of academia, including science, technology, health, humanities, business, art, and law. 

The agreement's goal is to expand the field of research to a greater scope of students and researchers. Interim Penn Libraries Director Brigitte Weinsteiger said the partnership with Wiley is a testament to the University’s “commitment to democratize knowledge and foster innovation.”

This research partnership follows the goals of Penn's newest strategic framework, In Principle and Practice: Penn’s Focus on Tomorrow, by working to strengthen academic research at Penn in alignment with the framework's central educational values. Characterized by several qualities such as targeting modern-day issues, engagement, leadership, and collaboration for innovative and global solutions, this plan has incited several changes at the University. 

Given the University's history of increasing research opportunities and access within the Penn community, this agreement adds to the University's open-access partnerships with other prominent publishers across the globe. 

More specific information regarding publishing processes and access to academic journals through Wiley has been compiled into a comprehensive online portal within Penn Libraries that goes through eligibility requirements, step-by-step instructions, and further resources.

Along with an in-depth definition guide surrounding the specifics of open access agreements, the Penn Libraries Open Access Agreements for Penn Authors publishing guide is made up of various sectors for each of the partnerships that the University has with external publishing companies. Currently, eight publishing agreements are accessible by Penn authors, including one with Wiley.

Wiley’s specific section highlights the article classifications that fall under the agreement as well as the eligibility requirements, which are defined as simply being “a current faculty, researcher, student, or staff.” It also offers several resource guides provided by Wiley to facilitate effective and efficient use of the company's resources.