Publishing open access with Springer Nature

Under the national agreement negotiated by swissuniversities, members of the University of Basel can read the full Springer and Nature portfolios and publish open access across the entire Springer Nature portfolio (over 3’000 journals). As a rule, you will not receive an invoice from the publisher; publication fees are handled centrally by the University Library. This page explains who is covered, how costs are handled, and what you need to do.

Who is included

You are included by the agreement if:

• you are the corresponding author, and
• you use your University of Basel email address (unibas.ch) when submitting, and
• you indicate University of Basel as your affiliation.

Authors affiliated with the university hospitals and with associated institutions (e.g. Swiss TPH) are also included when they publish under a unibas.ch address.

Publication models

The agreement covers two routes:

• Hybrid Open Access: articles in Springer and Nature subscription journals made open access. These are covered by the agreement at no cost to you, within the agreed article contingents (unlimited for Springer hybrid; a contingent matching expected demand for Nature hybrid). All hybrid articles published since January 2026 will automatically be transformed to Open Access.
• Gold Open Access: articles in fully open access journals. The APC is handled centrally; depending on your funding situation, a contribution may be charged internally (see “How publication costs are handled”).

How APCs are handled for Gold OA Journals

Publication fees are no longer billed to individual researchers by Springer Nature. Instead, when your article is accepted:

1. Your funding request is registered in the Springer Nature system and reaches the University Library.
2. The University Library checks your affiliation and funding situation.
3. Where a contribution is required, you receive a standard email from the University Library asking you to confirm cost coverage and provide a cost centre or third-party account within 3 working days.
4. Once confirmed, the article is released for open access publication.

Publications eligible for funding by a grant need to be paid from said grant. In these cases, the University Library charges the APC minus the consortium discount internally to the cost centre or third-party account you provide. Once completed, the article will be released.

Publications based on SNSF projects are covered centrally in 2026; no internal charge and no action is required. This will change in 2027.

Step by step for authors

1. Submit your manuscript using your unibas.ch address and University of Basel affiliation.
2. On acceptance, your funding request is processed by the University Library.
3. If asked, confirm cost coverage and provide a cost centre / third-party account.
4. Your article is published open access – no invoice from the publisher.

FAQ

Will I get an invoice from Springer Nature?

No. Publication fees are settled centrally by the University Library.

Do I have to do anything?

Usually only submit with your unibas.ch address and correct affiliation. If a contribution is required, you will be emailed to confirm and provide a cost centre.

My research is funded by the SNSF – am I charged?

No. In 2026, SNSF-funded publications are covered centrally.

I publish in a hybrid Springer or Nature journal – is there a cost?

No. Hybrid articles are covered by the agreement within the agreed contingents.

Can I use Springer Nature publications with AI tools?

Yes, within the agreement’s terms: publications may be analysed with any AI tools and used to develop non-commercial AI applications in research and teaching but may not be used to train such tools or passed on to third parties. Open access publications are governed only by their respective open access licences.