This month we look at the challenges of providing global access to OA in an equitable way. Among the many issues discussed, a central one is cost. We look at how prices could be changed to match local affordability… and turn up some surprising results. Background Cost is key in the active discussions around the… Read More

In its recent annual update about Transformative Journals (TJs), cOAlition S noted that many journals had not met their targets, for the second year in a row, and were being removed from the list of approved TJs. Since most journals consistently missed the annual targets, we wondered if the originally included journals, at their demonstrated… Read More

This month we look at diamond open access journals (“sponsored”). With some large funders advocating their use as a more equitable form of open access, can publishers make them work? Background An APC-based payment model is increasingly seen as challenging. APCs represent a rising expense, especially for institutions publishing large volumes of articles. Additionally, the… Read More

This month, we look at how fully Open Access journals are managed differently depending upon who publishes them. Background Most publishers need to ensure that their income at least covers their costs, whether they are mission based or profit driven. Assuming constant prices, for open access publishing, income is driven primarily by the number of… Read More

Last month, we looked at the headline price increases. This month, we look at spreads of prices and price optimization. In the following months, we will look at how the competitive landscape is evolving. Each year we survey the list Article Processing Charges (APCs) of a sample of major and significant publishers. Covering over 18,000… Read More

Each year we survey the list Article Processing Charges (APCs) of a sample of major and significant publishers. Covering over 18,000 titles, and going back to 2016, our data set represents one of the most comprehensive reviews of open access pricing. The latest analysis of list prices suggests prices in general are increasing, although averages… Read More

This month we examine how the growth of the Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB) has developed over the last 18 months. We look at some key statistics from the Directory and examine the continuing growth in OA Books. Background The Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB) tracks academic books, which “must be made available… Read More