Biochemistry journals to become open access in January 2021

ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology's three peer-reviewed journals — Journal of Biological Chemistry, Journal of Lipid Research and Molecular & Cellular Proteomics — will become fully open access in 2021.

In a statement announcing the decision earlier this summer, the society's leaders explained, "The ASBMB exists to meet the needs and respond to the demands of its members, and our members, in line with the broader scientific community, have called for immediate and free public access to research published in ASBMB journals in order to reduce barriers to scientific knowledge and accelerate discoveries."

Scientists publishing in ASBMB journals already had the option for open access, and many chose it. But, as of January, the final version of every article will be immediately available to everyone with an Internet connection, qualifying ASBMB journals as "gold" open access. This matters because an increasing number of funders of biomedical research are requiring grantees to publish in only "gold" journals.

The society has partnered with the commercial publisher Elsevier to make the transition. "We want to emphasize that this agreement will not change the peer-review process at any of our journals. JBC, MCP and JLR remain committed to rigorous, fast and fair review — by active scientists," the statement said.

After the transition to open access, institutions and authors will no longer pay subscription charges or page fees. Authors will instead pay an article publishing charge: US$2,000 for ASBMB members and US$2,500 for nonmembers (excluding taxes). By comparison, many other publishers charge double, triple or, in extreme cases, even five times that.

"(The transition) also will make our journals easier to read on mobile devices, discoverable on the platform ScienceDirect and, generally speaking, more nimble technologically," the statement said.

All new papers will be published under a CC-BY license, making authors' work immediately and permanently available for all to read, download, copy and distribute.

Read the full statement and find frequently asked questions at www.asbmb.org/asbmb-today/science/051120/asbmb-journals-will-be-fully-open-access-in-2021.

About the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)
The ASBMB is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization with more than 12,000 members worldwide. Founded in 1906 to advance the science of biochemistry and molecular biology, the society publishes three peer-reviewed journals, advocates for funding of basic research and education, supports science education at all levels, and promotes the diversity of individuals entering the scientific workforce. Learn more at www.asbmb.org.

About the Journal of Biological Chemistry
JBC is a weekly peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes research "motivated by biology, enabled by chemistry" across all areas of biochemistry and molecular biology. To read the latest research in JBC, visit www.jbc.org.

About the Journal of Lipid Research
JLR is the most-cited journal devoted to lipids in the world. For over 50 years, it has focused on the science of lipids in health and disease. The JLR aims to be on the forefront of the emerging areas of genomics, proteomics, and lipidomics as they relate to lipid metabolism and function. For more information about JLR, visit www.jlr.org.

About Molecular & Cellular Proteomics
MCP showcases research into proteomes, large-scale sets of proteins from different organisms or biological contexts. The journal publishes work that describes the proteins' structure, function and interactions with cellular partners. For more information visit www.mcponline.org.

CONTACT: Angela Hopp, ahopp@asbmb.org

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SOURCE American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology