University of Nottingham cuts five publishing subscriptions amid financial crisis

The University of Nottingham dropped five of its publishing agreements this year as it continues to face major financial pressures.

According to Research Professional News, the move comes after the university reported an £85 million deficit in the last financial year.

The university confirmed it will not be renewing contracts with Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Ovid/Wolters Kluwer, Taylor & Francis, and Wiley.

The decision follows wider cuts across the university as it looks to cut over 600 academic jobs.

via Unsplash

Rob Johnson, an independent research consultant and former Head of Research Operations at the university, said the loss of access to the publishers would “undoubtedly be disruptive.”

He said researchers are likely to face “significant frustration” because the agreements also supported open-access publishing through the so-called “gold route.”

The university will now likely rely more heavily on repository-based open access, a way of freely accessing digital content.

The move is part of a wider trend across UK universities. Several institutions recently opted out of deals with major academic publishers.

At least 11 universities have reportedly dropped agreements with Elsevier this year, including York, Kent, Surrey and Sussex.

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Caroline Edwards, a professor at Birkbeck, University of London, said universities are walking away from commercial journal packages “out of frustration and necessity.” She added: “We can expect to see more walkaways in the months ahead.”

Martin Eve, a professor in literature, technology, and publishing at Birkbeck, said publishing agreements are increasingly being scrutinised during periods of austerity.

Eve added the changes could still become “a very positive initiative” if the money saved is redirected into alternative open-access publishing models.

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