Common Ground Research Networks

Rights Agreement Choices

Common Ground Research Networks publishes scholar-led, member-based journals across more than twenty international Research Networks. This page sets out the open-access pathways available to authors, the Creative Commons licence attached to each, and the charges that apply.

As a not-for-profit publisher, we keep scholarly publishing affordable and reinvest in the platforms, editorial systems, and communities that sustain our journals. Authors choose how their work is shared — from full open access to a rights-reserved pathway with self-archiving — and our charges remain well below those of comparable Open Access publishers. Several of our journals are bilingual, publishing in English and Spanish.

Publishing Pathways & Licences

Authors choose a pathway during the Rights Agreement phase and may revise the choice at any time after publication. Each pathway carries its own Creative Commons licence.

Pricing at a Glance

Per article, USD. Applies to all Common Ground journals.

The Membership Model

Common Ground's Research Networks are scholar-led and member-based. Membership sustains the shared infrastructure — conferences, publications, and the CGScholar platform — through which research is developed and shared, much as in any academic society. There are two ways to join: membership is included automatically with any Presenter Pass conference registration, or it can be purchased directly as a standalone yearly membership.

For $300 a year, membership includes 30,000 CGScholar Points, which can be applied to an All Rights Reserved (+ Green OA) rights agreement for publishing a journal article; a 15% conference discount; a one-year personal subscription to your Research Network's journal and book content; and access to online programming. In this way membership is both a contribution to the community and a practical benefit to the individual scholar.

Become a Member of a Common Ground Research Network

Frequently Asked Questions

Which pathway and licence should I choose?

Choose Gold (CC BY) for the broadest reuse, including commercial; Hybrid (CC BY-NC-ND) for open access without commercial use or derivatives; or All Rights Reserved (+ Green OA) if you wish to self-archive the Accepted Manuscript in a repository while the published version remains All Rights Reserved.

How do members publish All Rights Reserved (+ Green OA)?

It is included with membership. Your CGScholar Points are applied to the charge, so there is no separate fee for this pathway.

How long do my CGScholar Points last, and can I share them?

Points are valid for 24 months from the start of your membership and are non-transferable. If you hold memberships in more than one Research Network, your Points can be combined (stacked).

Are any journals bilingual?

Yes. The On Diversity collection publishes in English and Spanish.

Get Support

Have a question? We’re here to help. Visit the help center to get started.

Support Center

Common Ground Research Networks

University of Illinois Research Park
60 Hazelwood Drive
Champaign, IL 61820 USA

Phone: +1-217-328-0405
Fax: +1-217-328-0435
Email: support@cgnetworks.org

Terms and Conditions

Site Map

Research Networks

Conferences

Journals

Books

Media Lab

About

Support

Common Ground’s Knowledge Communities

All content © 2026 Common Ground Research Networks. Built with care by &Phil;.