Transformative agreements, also referred to as transitional or “read and
publish” agreements, are contracts negotiated between institutions and
publishers that transform the business model underlying scholarly
publishing towards a fully open access model.
They represent a further
shift away from a subscription-only model to one which covers both
subscription payments (the “read” element of the agreement) and article
processing charges (the “publish” element).
The dual aim of the negotiations is to bring institutional investments
in scholarly journal publishing under oversight and control, with an eye
to cost reduction, and to drive a transition of scholarly journal
publishing to open access.