In a new publication, the German-wide DEAL consortium presents the key achievements of its first contract phase with the publishers Wiley and Springer Nature. The newly published infographic brochure provides a comprehensive insight into the background, objectives and results of the DEAL initiative.
Since the start of the first contract phase in 2019, DEAL has made great progress in the area of open access publishing and the provision of scientific information to German institutions. The brochure provides detailed key figures and developments over the last four to five years to show how the DEAL contracts have successfully achieved the consortium’s objectives.
A particular focus is on the enormous increase in Open Access publications. Between 2019 and 2023, more than 105,000 publications from German scientific institutions were published under the DEAL agreements, 97 percent of which are Open Access. This remarkable success means that two-thirds of all research output from Germany is now freely accessible worldwide – a significant increase from the 30% before the DEAL initiative began.
The brochure also highlights how DEAL has expanded reading opportunities for participating institutions while reducing the overall cost of scientific publications. This is a major breakthrough in the face of ever-increasing expenditure on scientific journals.
With over 500 participating institutions, DEAL has become a strong community and an important infrastructure in the German academic and library landscape. The review of the first phase of the contract highlights not only its considerable achievements, but also DEAL’s contribution to promoting the visibility and reach of German research worldwide and to shaping a more sustainable scholarly publishing system.
The information brochure is now available online in German and English providing a valuable insight into the goals and impact of the DEAL agreements for all interested parties, from scientists and librarians to policy makers.
Download:
>> The First DEAL Agreements 2019-2023: Setting the Path for Open Access and Transparency
