PRESS RELEASE FROM NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
12 November 2009

Contact: Grace Baynes
Corporate Public Relations, Nature Publishing Group
T:+44 (0)20 7014 4063
g.baynes@nature.com

Prices for site licence access to The EMBO Journal and EMBO reports will be reduced by 9% in 2010, reflecting the increased publication of Open Access content in 2008. Nature Publishing Group (NPG) and the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) announced the decision today.

We've taken into account all of the relevant data in reaching this decision, including the number of Open Access articles published in 2008," said David Hoole, Head of Content Licensing, NPG. "This change reflects the recent growth in the amount of Open Access content in both journals and the corresponding partial coverage of publication costs by author charges."

For the 2010 subscription year, there will be a 9% reduction on the 2009 site licence list price. This reduction is net of an annual inflationary price increase. Print and personal subscription prices are unaffected.

"We are delighted to be able to offer real savings to our library customers, based on the hybrid business model," said David Hoole in a letter to customers. "We hope this helps ease some of the pressure on library budgets, while increasing access to the academic literature."

For the 2011 subscription year onwards, both the site licence price and author fees will be considered in an effort to achieve equitable distribution of the costs of publication. This evaluation will involve an in-depth review of all factors relevant to the publication process, including the proportion of Open Access content and authors' ability to pay for Open Access and other publication-related costs.

NPG publishes The EMBO Journal and EMBO reports on behalf of EMBO. An Open Access option on both journals was introduced in January 2007. NPG has implemented hybrid models across many of its academic journals, and expects those titles to show price reductions in due course, as the volume of open access increases.

NPG will be contacting customers individually. Customers who have already paid for a 2010 subscription should contact their NPG sales representative or subscription agent to claim an adjustment.

-ENDS-

UPDATED: 13 November 2009.
Please note this press release has been updated to correct the spelling of European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), and to remove reference to EMBO Council.

Related links:

European Molecular Biology Organization announces an option for author-paid open access articles in The EMBO Journal and EMBO reports (December 2006)

About EMBO

The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) promotes excellence in molecular life sciences in Europe by recognizing and fostering talented scientists. Since 1964, leading scientists are elected annually to become EMBO Members based on proven excellence in research. Members number more than 1,400 today. Fifty-three scientists from the EMBO membership have received the Nobel Prize.

Leading peer-reviewed journals - The EMBO Journal, EMBO reports and Molecular Systems Biology - span a broad spectrum of topics of molecular biology and reflect how science is shaping the world. A new journal, EMBO Molecular Medicine, publishes original research offering molecular insight into the cellular and systemic processes underlying human disease.

EMBO funding, training and networking activities impact thousands of scientists every year, promoting collaboration in all areas of molecular biology - within its 27 member states, in Europe and neighbouring countries, and worldwide.

For more information: www.embo.org

About Nature Publishing Group (NPG)

Nature Publishing Group (NPG) is a publisher of high impact scientific and medical information in print and online. NPG publishes journals, online databases and services across the life, physical, chemical and applied sciences and clinical medicine.

NPG Nature Asia-Pacific is the Asia-Pacific wing of NPG, set up to serve the growing needs of the scientific and medical communities in the region, and has offices in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Delhi and Melbourne. For more information, please visit www.natureasia.com.

Focusing on the needs of scientists, Nature (founded in 1869) is the leading weekly, international scientific journal. In addition, for this audience, NPG publishes a range of Nature research journals and Nature Reviews journals, plus a range of prestigious academic journals including society-owned publications. Online, nature.com provides over 5 million visitors per month with access to NPG publications and online databases and services, including Nature News and Nature Jobs plus access to Nature Network and Nature Education's Scitable.com.

Scientific American is at the heart of NPG's newly-formed consumer media division, meeting the needs of the general public. Founded in 1845, Scientific American is the oldest continuously published magazine in the US and the leading authoritative publication for science in the general media. Together with scientificamerican.com and 16 local language editions around the world it reaches over 3 million consumers and scientists. Other titles include Scientific American Mind and Spektrum der Wissenschaft in Germany.

Throughout all its businesses NPG is dedicated to serving the scientific and medical communities and the wider scientifically interested general public. Part of Macmillan Publishers Limited, NPG is a global company with principal offices in London, New York and Tokyo, and offices in cities worldwide including Boston, Buenos Aires, Delhi, Hong Kong, Madrid, Barcelona, Munich, Heidelberg, Basingstoke, Melbourne, Paris, San Francisco, Seoul and Washington DC. For more information, please go to www.nature.com.