Spotlight on: United Kingdom
Building on a decade of partnership to expand access to UK research and maximise its global impact
The UK has long played a leading role in the transition to open access (OA). In 2024, 68% of all Springer Nature UK-authored articles, reviews and conference papers were published Gold OA, compared with 40% globally1. Despite producing around 6% of the world’s research output, the UK continues to be one of the most influential research nations, achieving the highest citation impact among major economies.
Ensuring that UK research is immediately accessible, discoverable and reusable is therefore critical to maintaining its global reach and influence. Long-term partnerships have played an important role in supporting this ambition, enabling researchers to publish openly at scale while continuing to publish in the journals and disciplines that best serve their communities.
Springer Nature and Jisc agreed one of the UK’s first OA agreements in 2016. Ten years on, the agreement continues to demonstrate how collaborative approaches can support OA growth at scale while delivering value for researchers, institutions and wider society.
80% OA uptake across UK-authored research in 2025
Source: Springer Nature data.
Research articles including Cureus, but excluding Nature Portfolio reviews and magazine content.
Over 46,000 UK-funded articles have been published under the agreement
Source: Springer Nature data.
Research articles including Cureus, but excluding Nature Portfolio reviews and magazine content.
231 million global downloads of content published via the deal2
Source: Springer Nature data.
Research articles including Cureus, but excluding Nature Portfolio reviews and magazine content.
Carolyn Honour
Chief Commercial Officer
“We are proud of this long-standing partnership, which has supported the continued progress of open access and helped expand the reach and visibility of UK research around the world.
Our commitment to working in partnership with the research community remains central to how we advance open research and responsible publishing. By collaborating with organisations such as Jisc, we continue to develop approaches that expand access, support reuse and help trusted research deliver greater impact for researchers, institutions and society.”
Delivering greater reach and visibility for UK research
In 2025 alone, Springer Nature articles published under the Jisc agreement generated more than 9.9 million downloads. Hybrid OA articles published by researchers at Jisc institutions typically receive more than 5x the average downloads of subscription content (2024), increasing the visibility and reach of UK research across academia, industry, policy and society.
Global usage of TA publications in 2025
| Region | Value |
|---|---|
| Asia |
6,553,569
|
| North America |
5,886,307
|
| Europe |
4,863,798
|
| South America |
627,313
|
| Oceania |
387,067
|
| Africa |
333,595
|
Source: Springer Nature Data representing highest usage areas/ Counter 5:1 usage – publication period Jan 2024-Dec 2025/ Usage period Jan 2024-Dec 2025.
Enabling greater research equity
In 2025, 71% of articles published under the Jisc agreement were accessed by anonymous users. This suggests that a substantial proportion of readers are accessing research outside subscription environments.
By making research immediately available, OA helps maximise the value of publicly funded research and increases opportunities for knowledge to inform innovation, decision-making and societal progress helping to ensure that knowledge is diffused to researchers everywhere, regardless of location or access route.
Recognised vs anonymous usage
| Response Type | Proportion |
|---|---|
| Anonymous |
71%
|
| Recognised |
29%
|
Source: Springer Nature data source: Recognised vs anonymous usage of TA publications, 2024.
Recognised users have been recognised by Springer Nature Link authentication processes such as IP address, federated access, Google CASA, etc. Anonymous users have not been recognised by Springer Nature Link as authenticated users with subscription-access rights.
Increasing access for underfunded disciplines
Since the launch of the agreement, OA uptake among UK researchers publishing in Springer Nature hybrid journals has risen substantially, with uptake now over 80%. On a discipline level, HSS has had the highest uptake (88% ), where fewer dedicated funding routes have previously been available for OA publishing.
As a result, more than 46,000 UK-funded articles have been published under the agreement, generating over 231 million downloads globally and ensuring UK research reaches readers around the world3.
Total share of gold OA articles in Springer Research hybrid journals
| Year | Proportion |
|---|---|
| 2020 |
66%
|
| 2022 |
72%
|
| 2024 |
80%
|
Source: Springer Nature data source: Research articles in Springer Research hybrid journals with corresponding author affiliation in the UK. OA uptake refers to % of these articles published immediate gold OA.
1. STM OA dashboard data, pulled June 2026 – representing share of publicationsOpen Access Uptake by Countries/Regions – STM Association.
2. As a result of Springer Nature’s OA agreement – data reflects 2017-2025, and as such reports usage after first year of agreement. Data refers to research articles published in Springer Nature hybrid research journals with a UK-based corresponding author.
3. Springer Nature data: Total OA agreement article downloads 2019-2025.
Open access at Springer Nature
Growing the pool of knowledge
OA has been a central part of our DNA for over two decades.
Delivering Value
Authors publishing OA with us benefit from the highest usage of their work.
Sustainable OA
We are committed to working with partners, globally, to ensure a sustainable, tailored, scalable path for all.
Spotlight on: Real world impact
OA research continues to have tangible benefits for society and knowledge.
What’s next in OA?
Committed to investing in tech and working collaboratively to eliminate barriers, driving forward an inclusive, reproducible, equitable transition to OA.
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