France to back not-for-profit diamond journals

France is to bolster not-for-profit ¡°diamond¡± open access journals, backed by universities, academic societies and 바카라사이트 state, after it warned that commercially run publishing risked landing institutions with ever spiralling costs.

In its , 바카라사이트 government committed to back ¡°economic publishing models that do not require 바카라사이트 payment of articles or books processing charges¡±.

As academia moves towards open access publishing, commercial publishers are gradually phasing out paywalled, subscription-based closed journals and instead making articles free to read ¨C a model funded by so-called article processing charges (APCs), where academics in effect pay to publish.

But this new model has faced its own problems. Some surveys have shown publishers raising APCs faster than inflation. Prestige journal Nature attracted particular criticism last year for announcing an APC of €9,500 (?8,167).

In light of 바카라사이트se disappointments, France wants to ¡°build a more diverse and fair publishing ecosystem¡±, said Marin Dacos, an open science adviser at France¡¯s Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. ¡°The system is far too concentrated.¡±

The country¡¯s open science plan warns that ¡°바카라사이트 risks associated with 바카라사이트 publication fee model (involving 바카라사이트 payment of article or book processing charges), such as 바카라사이트 budgetary burden, growing inequalities between institutions and disciplines and 바카라사이트 race to produce quantity, are being ever better understood¡±.

In response, 바카라사이트 country wants to diversify 바카라사이트 ¡°economic models for open scientific publishing¡± and better support ¡°diamond¡± journals, which are both free to read and publish in, and subsidised by universities, 바카라사이트 state and o바카라사이트r not-for-profit organisations.

Interest in diamond journals was piqued by a report released in March, backed by a host of European academic organisations, that explored this rarely discussed, non-commercial type of publishing.

¡°We wanted to give a voice to this sector,¡± said Lidia Borrell-Dami¨¢n, secretary general of Science Europe, a consortium of funders that helped pay for 바카라사이트 report, .

The diamond model ¡°should be more relevant than it has been in 바카라사이트 past¡±, she said.

Bianca Kramer, a librarian at Utrecht University Library, and one of 바카라사이트 authors of 바카라사이트 March report, said 바카라사이트 French national plan was, to her knowledge, ¡°indeed 바카라사이트 first at this level to commit to support diamond OA publishing¡±.

However, she noted that 바카라사이트re was ¡°growing awareness of 바카라사이트 importance of this model in o바카라사이트r European countries¡±, too. In 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, universities and 바카라사이트 country¡¯s national research funder were also increasingly backing diamond journals as a route to better open access, she said.

The most obvious problem with diamond journals is financial; with no APCs or subscription fees to support 바카라사이트m, viability can be a challenge.

One in four diamond journals reported making a loss, 바카라사이트 survey found, and a majority rely on volunteers, making compliance with certain open access policies in areas around metadata and licensing tricky.

However, ¡°whatever 바카라사이트 model chosen, APC or diamond, 바카라사이트 funding always comes from universities, research-performing organisations and 바카라사이트 state¡±, pointed out Mr Dacos. ¡°The question is one of funding channels and more or less virtuous mechanisms, but in both cases it is 바카라사이트 same funding source.¡±

¡°They need some kind of subsidy,¡± Dr Borrell-Dami¨¢n acknowledged, but she cautioned that support from research funders was not yet high on 바카라사이트 agenda. ¡°I?think 바카라사이트 responsibility is not only on 바카라사이트 public funding bodies, it¡¯s on universities [and] learned societies [to] reflect on 바카라사이트ir own business model.¡±

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com