The hidden costs of open access: navigating to a more equitable future

9 Oct 2024, 09:00
30m
H25 (2nd floor)

H25 (2nd floor)

University of Regensburg Universitätsstraße 31 93053 Regensburg Vielberth Gebäude // Vielberth Building

Speaker

Joanna Ball (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals)

Description

Initiatives such as openCost play an important role in improving transparency and understanding around open access publication costs. There are other hidden costs and unintended consequences that open access is often criticised for: the growth of unsustainable business models, the rise of questionable journals that exploit the APC, and a less equitable publishing landscape.
However, it's a myth that open access means APCs, and two-thirds of open access journals listed in DOAJ do not charge publication fees. The presentation will explore the wave of enthusiasm for, and investment in, no-fee institutional and scholar-led publishing as an alternative to the APC model. What are the challenges for this form of publishing? What role does DOAJ, an open scholarly infrastructure, play in supporting these journals, and how can the wider research and library community create a more equitable and fair future for open access?

Primary author

Joanna Ball (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals)

Presentation materials