SAGE keeps opening up....

I just noticed recently, when looking up a paper in the Journal of Biological Rhythms, that SAGE publishing group is starting to offer the Open Access option to the authors in some of its Journals:

Independent scholarly publisher, SAGE Publications, is now offering authors of papers published on SAGE Journals Online, the option to make their primary research articles freely available on publication. The 'SAGE Open' publishing option has been launched primarily to ensure that authors can comply with new stringent funding body requirements, (for example those now in place from the Wellcome Trust), and ensures that relevant journals are compliant with NIH/Wellcome Trust and other grant funder requirements.

The SAGE Open programme will initially operate across a number of biomedical journals in the SAGE portfolio. The fee per article for this service is $3,000USD/£1600GBP and excludes any other potential author fees levied by some journals (such as colour charges, which are additional) as well as taxes where applicable.

Under this scheme, SAGE will allow the deposition of the final paper, (post refereeing, copy-editing and proof-reading), to PubMedCentral and its international equivalents, such as UKPMC, or PMCI on publication. All other SAGE policies regarding open access archiving remain unchanged.

The SAGE Open option will be made available to authors of primary research articles only on acceptance of their paper for publication. This is in order to prevent any potential conflicts of interest, and to ensure that authors' choice/funder requirements have no influence on the editorial peer review and decision-making.

Payment of the SAGE Open fee will enable articles to be immediately available on SAGE Journals Online to non-subscribers, as well as to subscribers to that journal. It will also permit authors to submit the final manuscript to their funding agency's preferred archive if applicable.

Initially, this option will be made available for a selection of journals (see below for full list). These journals will publish articles in a hybrid manner. Those authors who do not wish to use this service will be under no pressure to do so, and their article will be published free of charge, in the usual manner. All existing policies on author posting of the final version will then apply.

The following list of journals participate in SAGE Open:

Adaptive Behaviour
Angiology
Chronic Respiratory Disease
Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis
Clinical Pediatrics
Clinical Rehabilitation
Clinical Trials
Human & Experimental Toxicology
Integrative Cancer Therapies
Journal of Biological Rhythms
Journal of Biomaterials Applications
Journal of Biomolecular Screening
Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice
Journal of Pharmacy Practice
Lupus
Multiple Sclerosis
The Neuroscientist
Palliative Medicine
Perfusion
Seminars in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia
Surgical Innovation
Toxicologic Pathology
Toxicology & Industrial Health
Trauma
Vascular Medicine

Please send questions or comments not covered by our list of frequently asked questions via e-mail to sageopen@sagepub.com

Very good, SAGE is actively looking for the best ways to adapt to the changing landscape of the science publishing world.