(Press-News.org) As the scientific community embraces open science principles, the American Physical Society is launching a new open access journal designed to meet the moment. With submissions opening in late February 2026, APS Open Science will publish a diverse range of research outputs while upholding the trusted, rigorous review processes that define APS standards.
“Researchers need high-quality options for sharing reliable findings across every stage of the scientific process,” said Jessica Thomas, executive editor at APS. “APS Open Science offers an open and trusted venue built on APS’ longstanding standards for rigor, with policies that support openness, inclusion, and broad participation in physics.”
A distinct home within the APS portfolio
APS Open Science complements other titles within the APS portfolio by publishing high-quality, technically valid, and ethically compliant research across the full breadth of physics and adjacent fields, using an objective and inclusive approach. The journal will serve as a community-shaped option for:
Fundamental and applied research articles
Theoretical and experimental work
Methodological and technical developments
Data and software papers
Replication and reproducibility studies
Negative and null results
To better support open science practices, APS Open Science will feature flexible article formats, rapid peer review, and efficient manuscript transfers from the Physical Review journals.
APS’ role in Purpose-Led Publishing, a coalition that promotes mission-driven publishing aligned with research community needs, also shapes the journal’s standards for openness, transparency, and research integrity. To reinforce quality, APS Open Science applies the same rigorous scientific and ethical standards used across all APS journals.
Open access supported by established waiver programs
APS Open Science will launch with article publication charge waivers for researchers in low- and lower-middle-income countries, along with introductory discounts for all authors. The journal will draw on APS’ longstanding waiver program to help reduce barriers and broaden equitable participation in open access publishing.
“Equity is fundamental to open science,” said Jeff Lewandowski, director of publishing at APS. “By pairing rigorous peer review with inclusive pathways for authors, APS Open Science enables more researchers — across regions, institutions, and career stages — to participate fully in global scientific communication.”
Led by an international editorial team of open access advocates
The journal is guided by active researchers, including a diverse global editorial board and editorial advisory board, reflecting APS’ commitment to community inclusion.
The journal’s inaugural chief editor, Badreddine Assouar — Director of Research at the French National Center for Scientific Research and the University of Lorraine, and a leading physicist in acoustic and elastic metamaterial and phononics — will oversee the peer review process and help shape the journal’s scientific direction. He is joined by Managing Editor Boyana Konforti, an advocate for open and equitable research practices.
“Useful scientific knowledge comes from every stage of research, not just headline breakthroughs,” said Assouar. “APS Open Science provides a reliable home for results that advance physics cumulatively, the kind of work that future discoveries depend on.”
The editorial advisory board consists of early and mid-career researchers from across the physics community who help shape the journal's future. They advise editors on whether manuscripts should proceed to peer review, recommend appropriate reviewers, and provide guidance on publishing standards and open science practices.
All articles will be published under the CC BY 4.0 license, with DOIs registered via Crossref and immediate discoverability through major scholarly search engines. APS is pursuing inclusion in additional indexing services as approvals are confirmed. Author guidelines and scope details will be available on the APS journals website when submissions open in late February.
Join our mailing list to help shape the journal's evolution through submissions, feedback, and advisory opportunities.
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The American Physical Society is a nonprofit membership organization working to advance physics by fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and global community dedicated to science and society. APS represents more than 50,000 members, including physicists in academia, national laboratories, and industry in the United States and around the world.
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