Transformative Agreements at Cambridge University Press

Abstract

Abstract Like the majority of established publishers, Cambridge University Press (CUP) is in the middle of a major transformation, shifting from pay-to-read to pay-to-publish models; and it has embraced transformative agreements (TA s) as a key lever to support this journey. Importantly, they are seen as a key stepping stone, not a destination or the only route, to full open access (OA). Implementing TA s has required huge change internally and necessitated a new kind of collaboration with librarians. As a publisher with a strong emphasis on humanities and social sciences publishing, CUP sees TA s as providing a route to OA for all of its journals and as ensuring no subject area is disadvantaged by the transformation. The shift to OA does come with challenges; a key one is author equity and how to ensure that in eliminating the financial barriers to read content, no new barriers to publication are created.