Background to Transformative Agreements in Australasia
The Council of Australasian University Librarians (CAUL) plays a central role in negotiating collective agreements that shape how researchers across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand access and publish scholarly work. These read-and-publish or transformative deals bundle subscription access with open access publishing rights, aiming to shift the sector away from traditional paywalled models toward greater public accessibility.
For New Zealand universities and research institutes, participation in CAUL agreements has become increasingly important as institutions seek sustainable ways to support their researchers while managing rising costs. The latest development involves Elsevier, one of the world’s largest academic publishers, following similar successful negotiations with Springer Nature, Wiley and Taylor & Francis.
The Path to the 2026 Elsevier Agreement
Negotiations between CAUL and Elsevier faced challenges in late 2025. Discussions paused in November amid disagreements over pricing, agreement structure and the inclusion of fully gold open access titles. Universities across both countries prepared contingency plans to maintain access in case of a lapse.
By mid-December 2025, talks resumed constructively, culminating in an in-principle agreement. This outcome avoided any disruption to journal access for researchers and libraries. The agreement marks the completion of CAUL’s renegotiations with the four major international publishers under a new trans-Tasman framework coordinated with Universities Australia and Universities New Zealand.
Key Features of the CAUL-Elsevier Deal
The agreement runs from 2026 to 2029 and covers articles with original acceptance dates between 1 January 2026 and 31 December 2029. It provides uncapped open access publishing in most of Elsevier’s hybrid journals, including high-profile titles from Cell Press and The Lancet. Fully gold open access journals are not included, though eligible authors may receive a 15 percent discount on article processing charges for those titles.
Corresponding authors affiliated with participating institutions can publish without paying individual article processing charges for eligible hybrid journals. The deal is expected to enable more than 10,000 openly accessible research articles from Australia and New Zealand in 2026 alone.
Participating New Zealand Institutions
Numerous New Zealand universities and research organisations are covered. These include Auckland University of Technology, Lincoln University, Massey University, University of Auckland, University of Canterbury, University of Otago, University of Waikato and Victoria University of Wellington. Several specialist institutes such as Earth Sciences New Zealand also participate.
Researchers should confirm eligibility through their institutional library or via Elsevier’s journal finder tool, as lists can be updated. Using an institutional email address during submission is essential for automatic identification and approval.
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How Researchers Can Benefit and Publish
The process is straightforward for eligible corresponding authors. Submit manuscripts through Elsevier’s standard channels. Upon acceptance, select the open access option and confirm a Creative Commons licence such as CC BY, CC BY-NC or CC BY-NC-ND. The article processing charge is waived automatically when institutional affiliation is verified.
Eligible article types range from full-length research articles and reviews to case reports, protocols and data papers. Authors retain rights under the chosen licence while Elsevier handles production and hosting.
Impact on Research Dissemination in New Zealand
This agreement significantly expands the reach of New Zealand research. Publicly funded work becomes freely available to policymakers, industry partners, community groups and international collaborators without paywalls. It supports national priorities around knowledge transfer and economic impact from publicly supported science.
By removing financial barriers for authors, the deal encourages broader participation in open access, aligning with global trends and funder expectations for immediate open availability of results.
Addressing Legacy Pricing and Equity Concerns
Previous subscription models often perpetuated inequities based on historical institutional spending. The new framework incorporates measures to begin redressing these imbalances while delivering overall cost reductions for the sector. Uninterrupted access combined with expanded publishing rights represents a pragmatic step forward.
Comparison with Other Recent CAUL Agreements
The Elsevier deal completes a suite of transformative agreements negotiated in quick succession. Similar uncapped or expanded hybrid open access provisions now exist with Wiley, Springer Nature and Taylor & Francis. Together these provide researchers with substantially more options across major publishers without direct author fees for eligible outputs.
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Future Outlook for Open Access in Aotearoa
With all four major publishers now covered, attention turns to implementation, monitoring uptake and evaluating long-term sustainability. CAUL and partner organisations will track article volumes, cost trajectories and researcher feedback. Further refinements may address gold open access titles or emerging publishing models in subsequent cycles.
New Zealand’s research community stands to gain enhanced visibility and influence as more outputs become immediately accessible worldwide.
Practical Steps for NZ Academics and Administrators
University libraries are preparing guidance and workshops. Researchers are advised to review their target journals via Elsevier’s dedicated finder tool and consult library staff early in the submission process. Administrators can expect reporting on open access outputs to inform future strategy and advocacy.
