Pledge to Open

Pledge to Open is a collective funding model that makes scholarly books free to read and free to publish for the author. It allows libraries to combine their resources to achieve more together than they could alone.

Your pledge not only serves your community but contributes to global knowledge sharing and creating lasting impact for authors and researchers worldwide.

Since launching in 2024, Taylor & Francis has used pledges from 40 academic institutions and one consortium to open 58 scholarly books.

Explore the impact of Pledge to Open

Discover the story so far

As a leading publisher of open access books we are committed to making sure the content is discoverable and accessible by everyone.

2024 Pledge to Open collection titles

2025 Pledge to Open collection titles

Explore the books

Pledge to Open 2026

Our 2026 pledging program is now underway as we continue to support the widest possible dissemination of important new research.

Academic institutions are invited to pledge funding towards collections of 10 scholarly books covering important global issues. When a collection achieves its funding targets the books in that collection are published open access so that this cutting-edge research is accessible to readers worldwide — regardless of financial constraints.

Learn how you can participate in Pledge to Open 2026

Benefits for pledging institutions

In addition to being able to access all books that are published open access when funding thresholds are met, participating institutions also gain unlimited, multi-user, perpetual access to:

  • All remaining non-OA titles in the collection that they pledge to

  • 50 backlist titles per collection pledged, selected from a pool of 1000 titles, totalling up to 350 backlist titles if pledging to all seven collections

We are very grateful to the following worldwide institutions whose pledges in 2024 and 2025 have secured the publication of the 58 OA titles to date.

  • Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus Senftenberg

  • Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg

  • Carnegie Mellon University

  • Claremont Colleges Library

  • Florida Virtual Campus

  • Flinders University

  • Hochschule für Technik Wirtschaft und Medien Offenburg

  • Institute of Science and Technology Austria

  • Iowa State University

  • Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz

  • London South Bank University

  • Loughborough University

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  • Massey University

  • Middlebury College

  • Nottingham Trent University

  • Princeton University

  • Queensland University of Technology

  • RMIT University

  • Rowan University

  • Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik

  • Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne

  • Universität Duisburg-Essen

  • Université de Lausanne

  • University College London

  • University of Adelaide

  • University of Chicago

  • University of East Anglia

  • University of Essex

  • University of Exeter

  • University of Manchester

  • University of Maryland – College Park

  • University of New South Wales

  • University of Northern Colorado

  • University of Notre Dame

  • University of Nottingham

  • University of Virginia

  • University of Waikato

  • University of Wollongong

  • University of Wolverhampton

  • Vassar College

View our participating institutions as a PDF

Open access authors receive maximum visibility of their research without having to pay a Book Publishing Charge. This is particularly important for those from lower income countries who do not have open access funding.

Our analysis shows that the Pledge to Open titles published open access so far have received 12x more downloads, 3x broader country reach, and 3.5x more institutional engagement than traditionally published titles.

12x

Usage

Pledge to Open titles received, on average, 12 times more views and downloads via taylorfrancis.com compared to similar non-OA titles within the first four months of publication.

3.5x

Visibility

On average, Pledge to Open titles were accessed from three times more countries and 3.5 times more institutions than non-OA titles on taylorfrancis.com during the first four months after publication.

Pledge to Open makes sure that important scholarly research is available to all researchers globally, irrespective of budget. The 58 books we have published so far are available on our eBooks platform as well as other OA platforms that we support, making sure that it can be easily discovered, read and shared.

Read the titles on our eBooks platform

Testimonials

“Thanks to the Open Access model, the visibility of our book has increased significantly. I have received messages from researchers and professionals across the globe – people I would not have reached through traditional channels. The wide international reach has not only enhanced the dissemination of our findings but has also opened doors for new research collaborations.”

Prof. Dr hab. Magdelena Kraczia

Business and Health Psychologist, Author of Management, Conflict Resolution and Strategy

“I’m grateful that Environmental Liberation Education is part of the Pledge to Open program, as it has enabled diverse students and educators apply the book’s findings to their own curriculum development. Accessed by 42 institutions across 14 different countries, Pledge to Open has empowered readers who might otherwise not have the opportunity to dive into the book’s technical details and complex theory.”

Micaela Rubalcava, Ph.D.

Professor of Education and author of Environmental Liberation Education

“I’m thrilled that our book, Feminists Talk Whiteness, is part of the Pledge to Open program, as it has enabled readers from 22 different countries to access our research and thinking. With over 11,000 accesses, the reach is well beyond what we could have imagined.” 

Janet Gray

Assistant Professor Department of Women’s and Gender Studies and Editor of Feminists Talk Whiteness 

Join Pledge to Open 2026

The 2026 collections feature 10 newly published books from our Routledge and CRC Press imprints, covering seven important contemporary issues:

  • Biotechnological Solutions

  • Sustainability in Practice

  • Climate Change

  • Global Security

  • Social Movements and Activism

  • Wellbeing and Mental Health

Institutions can pledge to individual collections or save with preferential pricing by pledging to all seven.

Explore detailed descriptions of the Pledge to Open 2026 collections

We’re here to answer your questions. Connect with us today by completing the form below.

What books are in the 2026 collections?

A provisional list of titles is available by emailing [email protected], but the list may change based on publication date adjustments. The final list will be confirmed after pledging closes. All books are planned for publication from mid-2026 onwards.

What types of books are included in each collection? 

Each collection will include full-length, newly published research books, comprising both edited volumes and single-author works. For more details about the types of books we offer, please refer to our Overview of our products guide.

How are titles selected for each collection?

Titles were chosen to showcase the high quality and interdisciplinary strengths of both the Routledge and CRC Press imprints, and relevant to an international cohort of libraries. These interdisciplinary collections will feature HSS and STEM research titles spanning a broad spectrum of subject areas, authored and edited by academics from around the globe. We strive to include scholars from lower income and lower middle income countries (as defined by the World Bank).

How and when will you announce which titles are chosen to publish open access for each collection?

The final list of titles for each collection, and which will publish open access, will be confirmed after pledging is closed. However, we will be able to provide updates on the title listing throughout 2026 – please email us at [email protected] for the latest status.

When is the pledging period?

The pledging window runs from November 2025 through July 2026.

How much do I need to pledge?

Our tiered pricing model is designed around institutional size, making sure that organizations of all scales can participate meaningfully in supporting open access scholarship. Each collection can be pledged to individually, or pledge to all seven and receive preferential pricing. Please use the form above to contact us and request pricing for your institution.

How have the collections been priced?

The pricing for each collection is the same, regardless of the mix of HSS and STEM subject areas included. However, the overall cost is tiered based on the size of the institution. To request pricing tailored to your institution, please use the form above to contact us.

What is your funding threshold to make books OA?

We will publish titles as open access once a collection reaches over 50% funding. For example, if 50% of the funding target to make all 10 titles open access in a collection is achieved, then five titles will be published OA instead.

The remaining titles, if any, that will not be made open access from each collection will be available for perpetual access to participating institutions once published.

What happens when a collection reaches its funding target?

Once a collection meets its funding target, pledging will close, titles will be confirmed, and open access conversion will begin depending on the production stage for each book.

How will the books included be discoverable?

All open access book content is hosted on the taylorfrancis.com eBooks platform and is also available on Google Books, Amazon, OAPEN, and DOAB for maximum reach. The Pledge to Open collections will be sent to major library discovery services, including Alma and OCLC, with books appearing as they are published. MARC and KBART records for the 70 titles will be available on taylorfrancis.com after all titles are published.

How are supporter institutions being acknowledged?

We acknowledge the institutions that participate in Pledge to Open in our dedicated website and in the bespoke Pledge to Open eBook collections from 2024 and 2025.

When will the titles be published open access? 

We aim for funded book titles to publish open access as close to publication as possible (considering factors such as achieving funding thresholds before book titles go into Production).

When will all titles in the collections be published?

We expect all books to be published between mid-2026 and 2027. Those that receive funding will be made open-access as close as possible to publication.

What kind of open access license will the books have? 

Our preferred license is the Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) license. It is our view that this license provides the best combination of dissemination and protection.

My institution is based in a lower income country (as defined by the World Bank), but would still be interested in supporting, is this a possibility? 

Pledge to Open is designed to provide an equitable option that doesn’t rely on authors, including those in lower income countries, having access to funding to cover OA publishing charges. Pledge to Open is a global initiative, and we would welcome support from all institutions who would like to pledge. Please contact us at [email protected] to discuss your requirements.

Do you accept pledges at consortium level?

Pledge to Open is a global initiative, and we would welcome support from consortia who would like to pledge. Please contact us at [email protected] to discuss your requirements and pricing.