The Journal Checker Tool (JCT) is an online tool created by cOAlition S that enables authors funded by research organisations supporting Plans S to find compliant “routes” through which to publish their articles. The tool can be used for research funders such as the Wellcome Trust and UKRI. A full list of the research funders covered in the Journal Checker Tool (JCT) can be viewed on this page.
To use the Journal Checker Tool enter the name of the journal you wish to publish with, your research funder and your current institution. This information will then be checked against the publisher and research funders open access policies, as well as any publisher agreements your institution is part of and provide advice on whether there is a compliant publishing route. The results given by the Journal Checker Tool are explained below.
This shows your chosen journal is a fully open access title. Publishing in a fully open access journal is compliant with the majority of research funders providing the journal allows the correct open access licence.
What to do next:
A Transitional Agreement is a publishing agreement institutions can join to enable funded authors to publish in compliance with your research funders open access policy. This result indicates your institution has such an agreement in place.
A Transformative Journal is an individual title that has taken steps to be compliant with most research funders open access policies. This result indicates the chosen journal is a transformative journal. A complete list of journals currently considered transformative can be found on the Sherpa Romeo service transformative journal page.
This journal is a hybrid journal publishing both subscription and open access articles, but is not part of a Transitional publishing agreement or considered a transformative journal. You can publish and be compliant with most research funders open access policies if the publisher allows a CC BY open access licence, but any open access publishing charges can not be paid from any research funder open access block grants awarded to the library for the support of their open access policies.
This result means the publisher will allow you to comply with your funders self-archiving requirements providing your have informed the publisher of your research funders rights retention policy. Open access publishing charges do not apply with this route.
You are able to comply with your research funder's policy through Self-archiving. This result means the publisher will allow you to deposit your final accepted manuscript in an open access repository with no embargo and under a CC BY open access licence. Open access publishing charges do not apply with this route.
There are currently no publishing options that will enable you to comply with your funder's policy.
There are several options open to you:
For more information please contact Open Research Services.