frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions concerning the open-access arrangements for Acta Crystallographica Section E: Structure Reports Online are given below.

What is included in the open-access fee?

The open-access fee pays for:

• Detailed and exhaustive peer review
• Copy-editing by skilled professional editorial staff to improve the linguistic and grammatical presentation
• In-depth checking of structural data
• Checking for prior publication or database deposition of the same or related structures
• Collation and presentation of supporting materials
• Online publication in Crystallography Journals Online
• Preparation of metadata for inclusion in major bibliographic databases such as Chemical Abstracts and Scopus; deposition of data in crystallographic databases; and inclusion in search engines such as Google
• High visibility and maximum exposure for the work of an author - anyone with online access can read the articles
• Retention of copyright - the article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence
• Archiving of the article by the IUCr and archiving in open archives, e.g. PubMedCentral, to ensure long-term preservation
• Provision of electronic reprints for use in self-archiving/institutional repository arrangements

Who should pay?

The corresponding author of the article is responsible for payment.

When should payment be made?

Payment is due upon acceptance of the article for publication. Please note that authors will be asked to confirm that they can pay for open access before article submission.

How do I pay?

Payment for individual articles may be made by credit card, bank transfer or voucher. Payment by purchase order and invoicing is also available. For more details of how to pay, click here.

How do I apply for a waiver?

Authors from developing countries may apply for a payment waiver by clicking here. Please note that application for a payment waiver must be made before an article is submitted. Successful applicants will be given a full or partial waiver voucher valid for the submission of three papers.

My institutional library subscribes to an IUCr publication. Does this entitle me to a discount on the open-access fee?

If your library subscribes to Acta Crystallographica Section C: Crystal Structure Communications, then you may apply for a 10% discount on the open-access fee by clicking here.

What vouchers are available?

Three types of vouchers are available:

• waiver vouchers for authors from developing countries
• subscriber discount vouchers for authors from institutions that have a subscription to Acta Crystallographica Section C: Crystal Structure Communications; the vouchers are valid for the current calendar year
• prepayment vouchers - authors or institutions may prepay the open-access fees for articles at a discounted rate; the vouchers are valid for five years

Which funding agencies allow their grants to cover open-access fees?

BioMedCentral provides a list of funding agencies that support the payment of open-access fees at http://www.biomedcentral.com/info/authors/funderpolicies/. Sherpa Juliet provides useful links to the policies of research funders at http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/juliet/.