Tangled Terms: How We Talk About Transformative Agreements

Abstract

Transformative agreements (TAs) are a relatively new type of journal package that typically
includes both access to the publisher’s paywalled content and coverage of the open
access (OA) publishing fees for an institution’s authors. As many libraries have entered into
these agreements in recent years, analyses of their “value” are increasingly being presented
at conferences and in the literature. However, these assessments often reveal inconsistencies
in how TAs are defined. The term “transformative agreement” is broad, encompassing
considerable complexity and diversity in terms and requirements. It is important that
we have a clear understanding of what is being assessed. Additionally, we must critically
engage with the language that publishers use surrounding TAs, not simply adopt or amplify
their terms by framing results of these agreements as “cost savings.”