Optica Publishing Group Announces Subscribe to Open Pilot for the Journal of the Optical Society of America B (JOSA B)
About Optica
24 October 2025
Optica Publishing Group Announces Subscribe to Open Pilot for the Journal of the Optical Society of America B (JOSA B)
New model aims to make high-quality optics and photonics research openly available without author fees
Optica Publishing Group today announced that the Journal of the Optical Society of America B (JOSA B) will pilot the Subscribe to Open (S2O) model in 2026. This innovative publishing approach leverages the existing subscription framework to make research articles freely available to readers worldwide—without shifting publishing costs to authors.
Under the S2O model, current JOSA B institutional subscribers renew their subscriptions as usual. If enough renewals are received, all content published in the 2026 volume of JOSA B will be made open access and freely available to all readers. If the subscription target is not met, the journal will remain subscription-only for 2026 and subscribers will retain full access to the content.
“Optica Publishing Group has a long history of supporting open science and expanding access to high-quality research in optics and photonics,” said Alison Taylor, Chief Publishing Officer, Optica Publishing Group. “Our goal in piloting this Subscribe to Open model is to advance the dissemination of JOSA B’s trusted, high-quality science while offering a community-driven pathway toward open access that benefits authors, libraries, and readers alike.”
Benefits for the Community:
For Libraries: S2O offers libraries a cost-neutral way to support open access. When subscription targets are met, the volume year’s content becomes freely available worldwide—without changing existing subscription payment processes.
For Authors: When the S2O threshold is achieved, articles will be published open access without article processing charges (APCs), ensuring equitable open access participation by authors regardless of funding availability.
For Readers: The model expands global access and visibility of JOSA B’s content, advancing the dissemination and impact of optics and photonics research.
By piloting S2O for JOSA B, Optica Publishing Group continues its exploration of sustainable approaches to open access that balance the needs of authors, libraries, and the broader scientific community.
For more information about the S2O pilot for JOSA B, please contact subscriptions@optica.org or visit https://opg.optica.org/subscribe-to-open.
About Optica Publishing Group
Optica Publishing Group is a division of the Society, Optica, Advancing Optics and Photonics Worldwide. It publishes the world’s largest collection of peer-reviewed and most-cited content in optics and photonics, including 19 prestigious journals, the Society’s flagship member magazine, and papers and videos from over 1200 conferences. With over 505,000 journal articles, conference papers, and videos to search, discover, and access, its publication portfolio represents the full range of research in the field from around the globe.
About JOSA B
The Journal of the Optical Society of America B (JOSA B) publishes scientific research on the fundamentals of the interaction of light with matter, including topics such as quantum optics, nonlinear optics, laser physics, ultrafast phenomena, nanophotonics, and other related subjects. Published monthly, JOSA B is led by Editor-in-Chief Irina Novikova, College of William and Mary, USA.
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