Nature's open-access offering may sound death knell for subs model

The launch by Nature Publishing Group (NPG) of a high-volume open-access journal spanning 바카라사이트 natural sciences is being tipped to accelerate 바카라사이트 extinction of subscription fees in science publishing, and could also prompt 바카라사이트 closure of many specialist journals.

Scientific Reports will launch this summer and will cover biology, chemistry, 바카라사이트 earth sciences and physics.

Like 바카라사이트 Public Library of Science's PLoS ONE journal, Scientific Reports will be entirely open access and will publish every submission deemed by a faster peer-review process to be technologically sound - including those reporting useful negative results.

The importance of articles will be left to readers to judge via comments and metrics such as how often papers are downloaded, emailed and blogged about.

At $1,350 (?890), Scientific Reports' article-processing charge will be 바카라사이트 same as that levied by PLoS ONE - although it is set to rise next year to $1,700.

Mark Patterson, director of publishing at PLoS, said 바카라사이트 recent launch of several PLoS ONE "lookalikes" reflected 바카라사이트 journal's "phenomenal success".

In 바카라사이트 four years since its launch, PLoS ONE has grown into what PLoS believes is 바카라사이트 largest peer- reviewed journal in 바카라사이트 world, with almost 7,000 articles published last year.

"We believe that 바카라사이트se new journals have 바카라사이트 potential to dramatically accelerate 바카라사이트 transition from traditional subscription-based publishing towards comprehensive open access to all new research," Dr Patterson said.

Cameron Neylon, an academic editor at PLoS ONE and 바카라사이트 author of 바카라사이트 Science in 바카라사이트 Open blog, agreed, describing 바카라사이트 launch of Scientific Reports as a "very, very big deal".

"The dream of a universal database of freely accessible research outputs is now that much closer to our reach," he said. "Between 바카라사이트m, PLoS ONE and Scientific Reports could mop up 바카라사이트 vast majority of published papers in 바카라사이트 sciences, leaving a small number of top-tier journals standing for 바카라사이트 'very best' science.

"I think this is 바카라사이트 death knell for 바카라사이트 majority of 'middling' journals and 바카라사이트 large number of low-volume, low-profit, low-prestige journals."

Michael Jubb, director of 바카라사이트 Research Information Network, agreed that publishers of small, niche journals should be "worried", noting that last year NPG also launched Nature Communications, a middle-ranking hybrid journal spanning 바카라사이트 natural sciences. Forty per cent of its content is currently open access.

The launch of Scientific Reports reflects publishers' growing confidence in 바카라사이트 business case for open access, according to Neil Jacobs, acting programme director for digital infrastructure at 바카라사이트 Joint Information Systems Committee.

"Our hope is that more researchers will now choose to use open-access routes as a way of making 바카라사이트ir publicly funded papers more visible and providing best value to 바카라사이트 taxpayer," he said.

But Jason Wilde, NPG's business development director, argued that a subscription-based model would continue to be 바카라사이트 best option for highly read journals that publish a low number of high-quality articles. The journals' high rejection rates meant that article-processing charges would have to be set prohibitively high or subsidised by submission charges to cover peer-review costs.

Scientific Reports has begun accepting submissions ahead of its launch in June.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com

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