Who is considered the corresponding author?
The corresponding author is defined as the person who handles the manuscript and correspondence during the publication process – from manuscript correction and proof reading, to handling the revisions and re-submission of revised manuscripts, up to the acceptance of the manuscripts. The corresponding author acts as the main contact for Springer Nature correspondence after editorial acceptance.
The corresponding author has the authority to act on behalf of all co-authors in all matters pertaining to publication of the manuscript, including supplementary material. They are also responsible for obtaining such agreements and for informing the co-authors of the manuscript’s status throughout the submission, review and publication processes.
In addition, the corresponding author of the article who is affiliated to an eligible institution shall complete the author identification process and act as the point of contact for any enquiries after the paper is published.
How can I identify myself as eligible?
If you can say ‘yes’ to these statements, your article is eligible for publication under the open access agreement for UC.
- I am the corresponding author.
- I am affiliated with an eligible institution and can identify myself with at least one of the methods of recognition shown in the image below.
- My article matches one of these types: Original Paper, Review Paper, Brief Communication and Continuing Education.
Upon acceptance of your article, you'll also be prompted to provide your primary institutional affiliation.
How do I know if my article has been approved?
The approval manager at your institution will approve your article's eligibility based on your institutional affiliation, article type and journal name.
Once your article is approved by your institution, you will be notified by email and your article will proceed to publication.
How is payment made for my article?
All payments will be handled directly between the UC libraries and Springer Nature. The UC libraries will cover at least the first US$1,000 of each APC for eligible articles. The remainder due on each APC will be covered either by the author’s research funds, or by the UC libraries when such funds are unavailable. This agreement was built deliberately to manage the open access costs, and the UC libraries encourage authors to take advantage of the open access option. Even if the entire open access fee is paid by the UC libraries, it is not an unexpected cost.
What happens with BMC and SpringerOpen memberships?
The UC agreement with Springer Nature now replaces the BMC and SpringerOpen memberships for the following institutions, with at least the first US$1,000 of each APC covered by the UC libraries. Any articles published from January 2021 will be identified as part of the new agreement with Springer Nature (even if previously submitted under a BMC or SpringerOpen institutional membership).
- University of California, Irvine
- University of California, Santa Cruz
- University of California, Los Angeles
- University of California, San Francisco
- University of California, Santa Barbara
- University of California, Riverside
- University of California, Merced
- University of California, Berkeley
- University of California, San Diego
- University of California, Davis
Authors affiliated with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory continue to benefit from BMC and SpringerOpen membership with a 15% discount on BMC/ SpringerOpen APCs. Click here to learn more.
