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OPEN ACCESS

                       Claudia Mora, GSA President                                       ability to pay. Authors will still be able to have their papers
                                                                                         made available to the public and worldwide geologic commu-
                       In the May 2015 issue of GSA Today, GSA Council                   nity immediately upon publication by paying an article
                              announced its commitment to making GSA journals            processing charge (APC) for open access of $2,500 for non-
                              (Geology, Geosphere, Lithosphere, and GSA Bulletin) open   members or $2,400 for GSA Members. No additional color
                              access to the scientific community, with the intent of     page charges will be assessed to Geology authors paying the
                       beginning with Geology in 2017. The spring 2016 Council           open access APC. The GSA Foundation is seeking endowment
                       meeting was scheduled to be a decision point on whether to        funds to cover required publications fees for those who cannot
                       implement the plan in 2017 or wait, given various budget          afford to pay (e.g., authors from countries and institutions
                       uncertainties. After careful deliberations, Council voted to      unable to afford it).
                       delay open access to Geology for the public and the worldwide
                       geologic community but instead to provide free online access        Free online access to Geology for GSA Members is likely to
                       to Geology for all GSA members beginning in January 2017.         reduce demand for print subscriptions, but a print option will
                       This is a significant new membership benefit. The decision is     still be available in 2017 for those willing to cover the added
                       also intended as a prudent approach to initiating full open       costs of printing and shipping.
                       access for GSA journals in the future.
                                                                                           We plan no changes to the rigorous peer review and editing
                         Another change for Geology papers published beginning           that uphold the quality of Geology and other GSA journals. The
                       January 2017 is that color page-charges will be replaced with a   impact factor of Geology is currently among the highest in the
                       flat fee of US$1,750, and authors will be able to publish unlim-  geosciences, and it should increase as the move toward full
                       ited color figures. No article will be rejected for lack of an    open access makes its articles easier for the global scientific
                                                                                         community to read and cite.

GSA TODAY | JULY 2016                                                   Geology – GSA Bulletin – Geosphere – Lithosphere
                                                        Special Papers – Memoirs – Field Guides – Reviews in Engineering Geology

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