Is the Official Journal of the European Society for the History of Science Open Access?

Updated

Yes. The European Society for the History of Science (ESHS) states on its website that its official journal is published in Open Access. This means the journal's content is made freely available online rather than being locked behind a subscription, and it applies to the journal as the ESHS's official publication.

What the ESHS Website Confirms

The ESHS homepage lists the journal directly among its main offerings, alongside membership, news, and its early career network. The relevant line reads that "the official journal of the ESHS [is] published in Open Access." That is the key fact: the Open Access status is presented as a property of the journal itself, not as a temporary promotion or a members-only benefit.

The site does not, on the page reviewed, name the journal, list article processing charges, or describe the specific Open Access license. Those details would need to be checked on the journal's own site or by contacting the ESHS.

Why Open Access Matters Here

Open Access changes who can use the journal and how:

  • For readers: Articles can be read without a subscription or institutional login, which is useful for independent scholars, students, and researchers at institutions with limited library budgets.
  • For authors: Publishing in an Open Access journal often involves an article processing charge (APC) or a read-and-publish agreement. The ESHS page does not state whether fees apply, so authors should confirm this before submitting.
  • For the field: Because the ESHS promotes European cooperation in the history of science, technology, and medicine, an Open Access journal supports that mission by removing paywalls for a geographically and institutionally diverse readership.

How to Learn More

The ESHS site offers a few practical routes:

  1. Visit the journal link from the ESHS homepage to reach the publisher's page, where you can check the license, APC policy, and submission guidelines.
  2. Contact the ESHS through the "Contact us" option on the site if you have questions about the journal or membership.
  3. Consider membership, since the ESHS describes a membership option and the journal is the society's official publication; members may receive related benefits, though the page does not spell these out.

A Note on Scope

The Open Access statement on the ESHS page is clear but brief. It confirms the journal's status without detailing access terms, fees, or licensing. For anything beyond the basic fact, treat the journal's own website as the authoritative source.