Dean Sanderson, Chief Strategy Officer, and Sara Girard, Head of Marketing and Communications, reported that, after careful review, AIP Publishing decided to conclude its Subscribe to Open (S2O) pilot at the end of 2025. The pilot, which applied to the Journal of Applied Physics (JAP) and Physics of Plasmas (POP), provided valuable insights into the potential of the S2O model. This decision marks a natural evolution in AIP Publishing’s OA strategy—one that moves toward a simpler, more unified approach.
Launched as a limited pilot, AIP Publishing’s S2O initiative tested whether collective library support could sustain open access publishing for two of our established hybrid journals. Under the S2O model, libraries continued to subscribe as usual, and if enough renewals were secured, that year’s content was made openly available to all.
The results were instructive. Submissions increased modestly following the introduction of S2O, signaling that authors valued the opportunity for open dissemination. Both Journal of Applied Physics and Physics of Plasmas saw measurable growth in manuscript inflows during 2024 compared to 2023, but submission growth trends slowed in 2025 compared to the whole of the AIPP journal portfolio.
Usage also rose. Open access articles published under S2O received higher readership, with 2024 and 2025 content outperforming 2023 volumes. However, this growth was broadly consistent with patterns across AIPP’s hybrid portfolio, rather than a distinctive surge unique to S2O titles.
Financially, the journals met their revenue target thresholds for both 2024 and 2025, but there were a few institutions who canceled their subscriptions. While S2O offered a level of stability, it did not provide a path for scaling or monetizing the journals’ steady expansion. With operational costs increasing, this balance was not sustainable for the long term.
AIPP’s S2O pilot showed that collective support for open access can maintain a journal’s performance, but it did not provide a mechanism for meaningful growth in submissions, usage, or revenue. As a result, AIP Publishing determined that continuing S2O was not the most sustainable or effective way to serve our community, particularly alongside newer, more flexible models.
Starting in 2026, Journal of Applied Physics and Physics of Plasmas will move from the S2O pilot into AIP Publishing’s broader open access framework. Authors will still have a range of open access publishing options, including Author Select and through institutional agreements under AIP Fusion or Read and Publish (RAP). AIP Fusion brings together what worked best under S2O—collaboration, accessibility, and community partnership—but within a unified structure that supports every AIPP and publishing partner title. It provides one clear model for libraries and authors, helping us expand open access across the entire portfolio while maintaining long-term stability.
To learn more about AIP Publishing’s open access programs, including AIP Fusion, please visit AIP's Open Science page or contact your institutional representative.
The full communication from Sanderson and Girard is here.