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Oct 24 2026
What becomes possible when research is open?
Overview
Cambridge University Press’s Open Access Week communication, “What Becomes Possible When Research Is Open?”, examines how open access can extend the reach and influence of scholarly research. It explains that research creates greater value when people beyond the author’s institution can read, share, cite and build upon it.
Inspired by the Open Access Week theme “The Cost of Knowledge,” the communication addresses access beyond university campuses, institutional support for article-processing charges and the global audiences that open research can reach. It also encourages authors to check whether their institution has a Read and Publish agreement with Cambridge University Press before paying an open-access publishing charge.
Details
Campaign Information
Communication: What Becomes Possible When Research Is Open?
Organisation: Cambridge University Press
Campaign: Open Access Week
Theme: The Cost of Knowledge
Publishing platform: Cambridge Core
Primary subject: The role of open access in creating a more accessible, shareable and internationally connected research environment.
Purpose of Open Access
Research impact: Scholarly work can inform ideas, advance discovery and contribute to developments within and beyond academia.
Access and influence: The impact of research depends partly on who can read it, share it and use it as a foundation for further work.
Removal of barriers: Open access reduces financial and authentication barriers that may otherwise prevent readers from reaching scholarly content.
Knowledge sharing: Wider availability allows findings to circulate more freely among researchers, educators, professionals and communities.
Underlying principle: Cambridge University Press states that essential knowledge should not remain inaccessible to the people who need it.
Access Beyond the Campus
First question: Can research be accessed beyond the campus?
Open availability: Open access articles on Cambridge Core can be accessed outside a university or research institution.
Institutional login: Readers do not require an institutional username or subscription to access these articles.
Reading locations: Content may be accessed at home, on campus or while travelling, subject to ordinary internet access.
Downloading: Open access articles can be downloaded for reading and research use under the applicable publication licence.
Sharing: Readers may share open articles in accordance with their stated licensing terms.
Accessibility benefit: Independent researchers and individuals without access to a subscribing institution can still reach the research.
Article Processing Charges
Second question: What should authors check before paying an Article Processing Charge?
Meaning of APC: An Article Processing Charge is a fee that may be applied when an article is published through certain open-access models.
Institutional check: Authors should determine whether their university or research organisation has an agreement with Cambridge University Press.
Read and Publish agreement: Such an arrangement combines institutional access to published research with support for eligible authors to publish openly.
Potential coverage: If an eligible agreement exists, the author’s open-access publication charge may already be covered fully or partly.
Eligibility conditions: Coverage may depend on the author’s institutional affiliation, article type, participating journal and acceptance date.
Verification: Authors should confirm eligibility before making any payment or accepting responsibility for publication charges.
Institutional support: Library or research-support staff may be able to explain the agreement and assist with the publishing process.
Global Research Audience
Third question: Who can read openly published research?
Researchers: Scholars internationally can access findings relevant to their own investigations.
Students: Learners can use open research regardless of whether their institution subscribes to the journal.
Policymakers: Public officials can consult relevant evidence when developing or evaluating policy.
Practitioners: Professionals can apply research findings within healthcare, education, business, law and other fields.
General public: Interested readers may access research without encountering a journal subscription barrier.
International reach: Open publication can make findings available to readers in regions where institutional access to academic journals is limited.
Use and Reuse of Research
Reading: Anyone with internet access can consult the openly available research.
Citation: Other researchers can acknowledge and connect their work to the published findings.
Sharing: Open articles may circulate through courses, professional networks and public discussions under their applicable licences.
Building upon findings: Researchers can use published results to formulate new questions, replicate studies and advance existing knowledge.
Licensing: The specific permissions for reuse depend on the Creative Commons or other open licence attached to the article.
Author attribution: Open access does not remove the obligation to credit authors and sources appropriately.
Cambridge Open Access Target
Projected share: Cambridge University Press states that 75% of its research articles are projected to be published through open access by 2026.
Publishing transition: The projection reflects an ongoing movement towards making a larger proportion of Cambridge research freely available.
Role of agreements: Institutional Read and Publish arrangements can support this transition by covering eligible publication costs.
Researcher awareness: Open access creates greater value when authors understand the funding and publishing support available to them.
Institutional coordination: Researchers, libraries, funders and publishers all play a role in facilitating sustainable open publication.
Researcher Actions
Explore Cambridge Core: Researchers may search for journals, articles and openly accessible scholarship on the platform.
Check institutional eligibility: Authors should determine whether their institution participates in a Cambridge agreement covering open-access publishing.
Review journal requirements: Authors should examine the selected journal’s policies, article types, licences and publication charges.
Consult the library: Institutional library teams may provide guidance on agreements, funding options and eligibility procedures.
Contact: academic.marketing.india@cambridge.org
Further information: Researchers may explore Cambridge Core and check their institution’s open-access eligibility through the links included in the original Cambridge University Press communication.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this News Bulletin is for informational purposes only. The Learning Centre does not facilitate or provide recordings, additional data, access, or any other related information concerning the events/resources listed.
