New Open Access era for seminal materials research journals

A new Open Access option from the Materials Research Society (MRS) and Cambridge University Press offers authors a choice to publish in the seminal Journal of Materials Research and MRS Communications under a new model ensuring broad dissemination outside of the standard subscription model.

The Journal of Materials Research and MRS Communications Article Processing Charge is being offered to authors at a special introductory price of 1,500 USD and will then be available at the standard price of 2,700 USD from 2014.

Cambridge University Press has operated a hybrid gold Open Access model for many years and is now pleased to extend this to the materials research community.

Jamie Hutchins, Head of Journals (Americas), commented: "We are excited to further develop the publishing partnership between Cambridge University Press and the Materials Research Society (MRS) by offering our hybrid Open Access option to authors submitting to the Journal of Materials Research and MRS Communications. We feel it is important to give our authors and readers options and to acknowledge the requirements and mandates of research funding bodies, author's home institutions and the feelings of some individual authors who support various Open Access models of publication."

Reiterating the joint mission of Cambridge and the MRS to ensure the scientific integrity of individual papers and the robust editorial process of each journal, Mr Hutchins said the Open Access option would only be offered after a paper has been accepted for publication:

"This approach ensures that all papers can be held in equal regard. These new Open Access options are an important avenue for authors looking to maximize the dissemination and penetration of research results through the joint capabilities of Cambridge to reach the global library community and MRS to promote content directly to their large community of individual members.

"This new option supports our longstanding goal of expanding access to the high-quality interdisciplinary research published in Journal of Materials Research while offering authors a broad range of publication options that best suit their needs. And because the option will be available only after peer review, JMR will continue to maintain the highest standards for editorial integrity" said Gary L. Messing, Editor-in Chief of Journal of Materials Research.

Peter F. Green, MRS Communications Editor-in-Chief, commented, "This Open Access option is a natural next step in the growth of MRS Communications, where readers expect to first learn about high impact, cutting-edge materials advances. Open Access is a factor in many authors' decision-making process, and we are pleased that our partnership with Cambridge University Press allows us to provide this option for the worldwide materials community."

Authors interested in considering the Open Access option should contact Cambridge University Press at:MRSOpen@cambridge.org

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Cambridge University Press Journals Marketing Manager, Joon Won Moon at jmoon@cambridge.org.

About MRS Communications and Journal of Materials Research 

MRS Communications was launched by the Materials Research Society (MRS) and Cambridge University Press in 2011. The journal establishes future directions for the broad materials science community by bringing together researchers and professionals from the full range of materials fields, including physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and engineering, to identify and report on trends in research.

For further information, go to: http://journals.cambridge.org/mrc

The Journal of Materials Research, celebrating its 27^th year, is devoted to original research on all aspects of materials science, edited by renowned materials scientists from the world's most respected research facilities.

For further information, go to: http://journals.cambridge.org/JMR

About the Materials Research Society

MRS is an international organization of almost 16,000 materials researchers from academia, industry and government. MRS promotes interdisciplinary materials research to improve quality of life. MRS members hail from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and engineering - the full spectrum of materials research.

For further information, go to: www.mrs.org

About Cambridge Journals

Cambridge University Press publishes over 300 peer-reviewed journals, including journals published on behalf of over 100 learned societies, which form the latest in research and discovery across a range of topics. Many of these journals are the leading academic publications in their fields and together they form one of the most valuable and comprehensive collections of research available today.

Across the world, Cambridge Journals are available in online and in print – keeping scientists, researchers and scholars abreast of crucial developments in research.

For further information, go to: http://journals.cambridge.org

About Cambridge University Press

Cambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Its purpose is to further the University's objective of advancing learning, knowledge and research. Its peer-reviewed publishing lists comprise 45,000 titles covering academic research, professional development, over 300 research journals, school-level education, English language teaching and bible publishing.