1. Check the Journal Type
The level of APC coverage depends on the journal's publishing model.
Wiley Journal Type | Coverage |
Hybrid Journal | APCs are fully covered (100%) under the Couperin Agreement |
Fully Gold Open Access Journal | APCs are not covered. A 10% discount applies to the public APC rate (up to 15% under certain prepayment schemes) |
Reminder
Hybrid Journal: a subscription-based journal offering an Open Access publication option.
Fully Gold Open Access Journal: all articles are published Open Access and APCs remain the responsibility of the authors or their funders.
2. Eligibility Requirements
To benefit from APC coverage, you must:
Be the Corresponding Author;
Be affiliated with ESSCA at the time the article is accepted;
Publish in an eligible participating hybrid journal;
Publish an eligible article (research article or review article);
Select the Open Access option during the Wiley post-acceptance workflow;
Have your institutional affiliation validated in the Wiley system.
Please Note
The following publication types are generally not covered:
Editorials;
Letters;
Comments;
Certain special content types depending on the journal.
3. When Does the Agreement Apply?
The agreement covers articles:
- Accepted on or after 1 January 2026;
Whose Corresponding Author is affiliated with a participating institution at the time of acceptance.
Important: Eligibility is determined by the acceptance date, not the submission date.
4. What Should You Do After Your Article Is Accepted?
Log in to the Wiley publication platform.
Select ESSCA as your affiliated institution.
Choose the Open Access publication option.
Select your preferred publication license.
Wait for eligibility validation.
Recommended License
The CC BY (Creative Commons Attribution) license is recommended by both ANR and Couperin. It maximizes the dissemination and reuse of research results.
Once an article has been published under subscription access or has been definitively published online, it may be too late to benefit from the APC coverage provided by the agreement.
5. How Much Will I Pay?
Wiley Hybrid Journal
€0 APC
Open Access publication charges are fully covered under the Couperin 2026–2028 agreement.
Wiley Fully Gold Open Access Journal
APCs must be funded by the author, research unit, or research project.
Example APC | Couperin Discount | Amount Payable |
€3,000 | 10% | €2,700 |
6. What Is a Corresponding Author?
The Corresponding Author is the author responsible for representing all co-authors in communications with the publisher.
Main responsibilities include:
Submitting the manuscript;
Managing communications with editors and reviewers;
Coordinating revisions and corrections;
Selecting Open Access options;
Handling APC-related administrative matters.
Why Is This Role Important?
Under the Wiley-Couperin agreement, eligibility depends on the Corresponding Author and their institutional affiliation.
Situation | APC Coverage Possible? |
ESSCA researcher = Corresponding Author | Yes |
ESSCA researcher = Co-author only | Depends on the Corresponding Author's institution |
Corresponding Author affiliated with another institution | The ESSCA agreement does not apply |
Recommendation
Determine from the outset of the project who will be designated as the Corresponding Author.
7. Check Before You Submit
Key Questions to Ask Yourself
Is the journal Hybrid or Fully Gold Open Access?
Will you be the Corresponding Author?
Is your article eligible (research article or review article)?
Do you have funding available if the journal is Fully Gold Open Access?
Key Takeaways
APCs are fully covered for eligible Wiley Hybrid Journals.
Fully Gold Open Access Journals are not covered by the agreement (except for the negotiated discount).
The Corresponding Author must be affiliated with ESSCA at the time of acceptance.
Eligibility is based on the article's acceptance date, not its submission date.
The CC BY license is strongly recommended to maximize the visibility and reuse of research outputs.