Milano University Press (MUP), the publishing house of the University of Milan, represents a distinctive and mature example of a Diamond Open Access model that has been embedded in its identity since its earliest beginnings. Its origins go back to 2008, when the University of Milan has set up an institutional open access journal platform with the aim of supporting scholarly communication through non-commercial, community-driven publishing practices. At the beginning, the platform hosted only two journals in the humanities, a field in which digital publishing was still perceived as innovative and experimental. From the beginning, the initiative was guided by a clear commitment to openness, strengthened by institutional policies and participation in initiatives supporting Open Access and, subsequently, Open Science, a value that still shapes the publishing strategy of Milano University Press today.

The adoption of Open Journal Systems (OJS), the leading open-source software for scholarly journal publishing developed by the Public Knowledge Project (PKP), was a choice that reflected this commitment.

Over time, the platform expanded significantly, with now more than 70 peer-reviewed journals covering a wide range of fields, from the humanities and social sciences to STEM disciplines. This expansion reached its peak in 2020 with the formal establishment of Milano University Press as the university’s publishing house, marked by the integration of a book and book series section alongside the existing journals. The monograph section now counts about 185 titles and the publishing workflow is supported by Open Monograph Press (OMP), another open-source PKP software specifically designed for scholarly books, ensuring coherence and continuity in the technological infrastructure.

All publications are freely available to readers with no costs, and authors are not charged article processing charges (APCs) or book processing charges (BPCs). This model aligns with the public mission of the university and is particularly appreciated by students, who benefit from access to a growing collection of open-access textbooks across multiple disciplines:. by the end of 2025, 13 out of the total 91 titles in the main series (14% of the total) belonged to this category, and in terms of downloads they accounted for 32%.

In this way, MUP contributes not only to the dissemination of research but also to educational equity and inclusiveness.

Multilingualism is represented in both sections, mainly in Italian, with titles also in German, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. Abstracts and keywords are also provided in English.

The editorial office of Milano University Press plays a central role in enhancing the quality of its publications. It continuously monitors international best practices in scholarly publishing, with particular attention to publication ethics, research integrity, and transparency. The office provides journals with guidelines on ethical codes and supports the adoption of innovative practices, such as open peer-review (or post publication peer-review) and the adoption of FAIR principles.

Milano University Press promotes Open Science within the academic community through continuous training aimed at authors, editors, and editorial boards, with the goal of increasing awareness of open access publishing, open peer review, research data management, and broader Open Science dynamics.

MUP adheres to international standards and infrastructures that enhance the visibility and reliability of scholarly outputs, including DOIs, ORCID, ROR, and follows COPE guidelines. It also actively participates in international networks and initiatives such as 4EU+, OPERAS, COARA, and the Association of European University Presses (AEUP), reinforcing its role within the global community of non-profit academic publishers.

For the journal section, one of the distinctive strengths of the Milano University Press model lies in its balance between editorial autonomy and centralized support. Journals retain full independence over their scientific workflows, including the composition of scientific boards and editorial policies. The central office offers essential guidance, especially for newly established journals, and provides a range of services such as support for journal indexing in major databases and directories such as the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), communication and dissemination strategies, and the publication of transparent annual reports.
Since 2024, the adoption of the Diamond Open Access Standard (DOAS) has further strengthened transparency and inclusivity across MUP journals, also by enabling the use of self-assessment tools. These tools allow journals to evaluate their level of compliance with publishing standards and Open Science requirements, highlight existing strengths, and identify critical areas for improvement. In parallel, the reports produced by the central support office make it possible to trace and document the progressive implementation of the Standard over time, fostering a structured culture of self-evaluation, accountability, and continuous enhancement.

The Books Section has its own Editorial Board, composed of faculty members from various academic disciplines at the university and chaired by the Rector, who has also appointed a delegate. The board is responsible for establishing guidelines for books and new series.

The Editorial Staff of the Books Section is responsible for support in the peer review process (appointing Volume Editors and collecting reports), copyediting for texts in Italian, image copyright verification, validation of typesetting, assignment of identifiers (ISBN and DOI), metadata attribution and publication in OMP, indexing in DOAB, with PRISM seal, and Thoth (and specialized databases, such as PubMed).

New Book Series are evaluated by the editorial board.
Once approved, the Book Series is autonomous, just like journals: they determine the board composition, which volumes to publish, and manage relations with authors.

The Book Series submit manuscripts to be published to the Books Editorial Office, which subjects them to editorial review and then forwards them to the outsourced editing service; the Books Editorial Office is also responsible for uploading them to the OMP platform.

The Book Series thus follows a model combining elements of the Journals and Books sections: editorial autonomy in evaluating received proposals, while the final version of the text is reviewed by the Books Editorial Office before being sent to the external typesetting service.

Particular attention is devoted to the quality and richness of metadata, including funding information, which is essential for integration into Open Research Information infrastructures. In line with Open Science principles, all authors publishing with Milano University Press are encouraged to deposit their research data in the university’s FAIR data repository. This practice supports the public dissemination, findability, and reusability of research data through the use of standard metadata, DOIs, and clear usage instructions.

The promotion of research data archiving represents an ongoing commitment, particularly significant for STEM journals. In this area, MUP has been strengthening collaboration by offering services that are often considered standard in these disciplines, such as centralized layout and typesetting. Introduced for the journal section only in 2025, this service has significantly facilitated the onboarding of journals beyond the humanities, further expanding the scope and impact of the Diamond Open Access platform. Along with new journals we host flipped journals, journals of scientific societies and external journals seeking a more professional look and feel.

The publishing house’s activities are promoted within the researchers community through eight presentations per year, and new titles are promoted through a newsletter distributed to students and university staff. A mailing list is reserved for journal editorial boards, which meet at least once a year to discuss updates on new requirements.

Milano University Press demonstrates how community-driven publishing can support high-quality scholarly communication, foster Open Science, and serve both the academic community and the public good.