Chemical Science Goes Open Access

The Royal Society of Chemistry’s flagship journal, Chemical Science, will be free for anyone to access beginning in January 2015. The journal will be supported by author-paid charges, RSC says. But to ease the transition from a subscription-based journal to an open access journal, such fees will be waived for two years. RSC says Chemical Science aims to bring high-quality, peer-reviewed chemical research to a wider audience. Outgoing U.K. Science Minister David Willetts welcomed the announcement, saying it shows that “the U.K. is leading the world not only in chemistry research but in applying open access principles.” RSC President Dominic Tildesley calls the move a “momentous step forward in sharing chemical science knowledge worldwide.” The increasing trend toward open access publishing is being driven by the potential for such knowledge to increase economic growth and provide benefits for society. The American Chemical Society, which publishes C&EN and 44 chemistry-related journals, announced last year that it will soon launch an open access chemistry journal, ACS Central Science.