Springer 

Last updated 24.04,2026: The open publishing program resumed on April 24, 2026, with a pool of 1,381 articles for 2026. Starting this year, authors can choose a subscription model for publication in the “Publishing and Rights” form, but we still encourage authors to publish openly. The publisher does not provide for the retroactive reactivation of articles; only articles accepted for publication after the program’s launch are eligible for the program.

Which journals and articles are covered by the program?

The program enables UEK scientific access to publish articles in hybrid Springer journals – catalog 2026. Authors submitting their articles to fully open access journals covered by the program should be aware that their article may be accepted after the running out of the pool of articles for the year 2026, so the APC will have to be funded by the author (for hybrid journals, there is still the option of subscription publication). The program does not cover other SpringerOpen and BioMed Central open access journals.

The program covers articles in OriginalPaper, ReviewPaper, BriefCommunication, and ContinuingEducation. It does not cover EditorialNotes, News, or Letters. The program covers the Article Processing Charge (APC), but optional additional fees for colour illustrations, etc., are not included. Note:  Advances in Therapy journal charges a mandatory additional “Rapid Service Fee”, which is not covered by the program. This is the only journal in the programme that applies such an obligatory fee.

How to use the program?

Once an article is accepted for publication, the corresponding author receives an email from the publisher containing a link to the online “Publishing and rights” form, as outlined in the Author Eligibility Workflow(pages 8–18).

In the form, the author first selects their country (page 9), after which they are informed of the Article Processing Charge (APC) for publishing in open access in the selected journal (page 10). Note: The form displays the individual APC (i.e., the cost if the author pays directly), which may differ from the flat fee covered under the national license agreement.

Next, the author confirms their previously provided affiliation (page 11) or selects it from the list of institutions (page 12). The selected affiliation must match one listed in the article and be in English, as only English names of Polish institutions appear in the form.

If the chosen institution is covered by the Springer national license agreement, and the annual pool of open access (OA) articles has not yet run out, the system will recognise the institution as eligible and display the message: “Your article with open access – without costs” (page 13). In this case, the article is automatically directed to the program, and the author is prompted to provide additional information and consents (pages 16–17).

If the institution is not covered by the agreement or the OA article pool is depleted, the form will offer the author a choice between subscription-based publication or open access at their own expense (pages 14–15). After completing the form (page 18), if the article is directed to the program, the publisher sends the article details to the institution’s local administrator for affiliation verification. If the administrator confirms the affiliation, the APC is covered by the national license fee paid to Springer by ICM, using funds from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (MNiSW). The author is then asked to approve the final version of the article (pages 19–20). If the administrator rejects the affiliation, the author must either pay the APC themselves or opt for subscription-based publication.

Important: Under current form settings, once the article is directed to the program, the author cannot switch to subscription-based publication within the form. However, if the author prefers the subscription model, they should contact the local administrator before or immediately after completing the form. The administrator can then reject the article from the program, allowing the author to choose the subscription option.

For contact details of the local administrator, please reach out to WBN support at: wbn@icm.edu.pl

The procedure described above is used by Springer for most hybrid journals, except for about 100 journals that in the publishing list in the “Standard Hybrid Specific Workflow” column are marked as “non-standard.” For these journals, the corresponding author will receive special instructions from the editorial office. Additionally, the Open Access Systems Solution form offers only the standard CC-BY open licence type, which is compliant with Plan S and recommended by WBN. However, if the authors wish to publish their article under a CC-BY-NC licence, they should notify the publisher at ORSupport@springernature.com at the time of or immediately after the first submission of the article to the journal. Upon acceptance of such an article, the author will receive a special form for the non-standard licence. In this case, the information about the article is also sent to the local administrator at the institution for affiliation verification.

Where can I get help with the program?

Please visit the website for more information: Poland Read and Publish agreement. 

If you need help, please contact Springer Nature: oa.verification@springernature.com or WBN (Wirtualna Biblioteka Nauki): wbn@icm.edu.pl.