Read and Publish agreements support publisher-enabled open access publishing, but they are only one of several pathways for making research open access. The Library supports selected agreements through CAUL and directly with publishers.
Important: the University of Sydney Library does not cover article processing charges (APCs) invoiced directly to authors. Please direct any invoicing queries to the publisher.
Included journals
All journals and publishers covered under our agreements can be searched in Sydney Publishing Agreements Navigator (SPAN).
Please note: SPAN is offered as a reference tool to help our researchers navigate our Read and Publish agreements and is not a suggested list of journals to publish with.
Recent changes to 2026 agreements
Author eligibility
All University staff and Higher Degree by Research Students are eligible to publish under the University’s Read and Publish agreements.
To be eligible for the University’s Read and Publish agreements, you must:
- be the corresponding author
- use your @sydney.edu.au or @uni.sydney.edu.au email address
- list The University of Sydney as your primary affiliation.
Your article must meet all of these criteria to receive an APC waiver or discount under the agreement.
How to use Read and Publish agreements
APC waivers/discounts are applied automatically by the publisher within the publisher portal. The Library does not directly cover any individual invoices or fees.
Step 1: Identify a suitable journal based on quality, reputation and reach
Step 2: Search the journal title in SPAN to check coverage and article eligibility
Step 3: Check the journal’s own Information for Authors page for journal-specific submission requirements
Step 4: Use your @sydney.edu.au or @uni.sydney.edu.au email address for correspondence and list The University of Sydney as your primary affiliation when submitting your article
Step 5: Once your article has been accepted, complete the open access workflow in the publisher portal by following the publisher’s instructions.
Important considerations
- Not all journals from each publisher are covered. Check the journal in SPAN to see if an agreement applies
- SPAN is based on information provided by publishers and by CAUL
- Some journals only offer a discount on the APC
- Read and Publish agreements generally cover research articles. Other publication types, such as editorial or case reports are typically excluded
- You may be charged extra fees such as page or colour charges which are not covered by the agreement
- Some agreements are capped meaning only a limited number of articles can be published within the agreement timeframe
- Agreement coverage is applied on the date of article acceptance, not submission. Articles accepted outside the agreement timeframe are not eligible.
Other ways to publish open access
Read and publish agreements are one pathway to making your research public, but there are several other pathways to open access publishing, including green open access publishing through our institutional repository.
Questions
For further support with Read and Publish agreements, please contact a Research Services Librarian.
For information on selecting Creative Commons licenses, please see our Copyright support page.