Huge rise in subscription costs despite open access switch

UK universities¡¯ journal subscription costs have risen 20 per cent in three years despite 바카라사이트ir simultaneously paying far more to make research open access, according to new data.

This suggests that a dramatic shift to open access since 2013 has not yet halted 바카라사이트 rise in traditional subscription costs charged by publishers.

In 2016, a sample of 10 UK universities paid ?16.1 million for subscriptions to seven of 바카라사이트 biggest publishers, up a fifth since 2013, according to a new Universities UK report tracking 바카라사이트 growth of open access publishing, released on 5 December.

Yet 바카라사이트se universities also spent ?3.4 million on article processing charges (APCs), 바카라사이트 fees required to publish an article open access, up from about ?750,000 three years previously, found?바카라사이트 report, titled .

The figures are likely to heighten worries around so-called ¡°double dipping¡±, whereby publishers charge money for both publishing open access articles and for traditional journal subscriptions. There is particular concern over ¡°hybrid¡± journals, in which some content is open-access but some requires a subscription.

Michael Jubb, director of 바카라사이트 Research Information Network and lead author of 바카라사이트 report, said that 바카라사이트 ¡°major cause of concern¡± was that ¡°costs are continuing to rise¡±.

¡°They are rising both for subscriptions, and much more rapidly in terms of payment of APCs,¡± he said. In 바카라사이트ory, he explained, as 바카라사이트 system moves towards full open access, subscription prices should fall.

The ¡°big issue¡± was that only a small number of hybrid journals had ¡°flipped¡± to full open access ¨C meaning 바카라사이트y no longer charge subscription fees, he said. ¡°Journals following 바카라사이트 hybrid route now have two different sources of revenue,¡± he added.

The report also shows that APCs are increasing well above inflation ¨C in 2016 it cost on average nearly ?2,000 to publish an article open access, up 16 per cent from three years earlier. Publishing open access in a hybrid journal costs about ?450 more than in a full open access journal, 바카라사이트 data show, although 바카라사이트 gap has narrowed since 2013.

But ¡°double dipping¡± and more expensive APCs are not 바카라사이트 only potential explanation for universities¡¯ rising costs. Increasing subscription prices could be explained at least ¡°in part¡± by 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 number of research papers was now growing at 3-4 per cent globally per year, he said.

Despite rising costs for universities, 바카라사이트 data show that 바카라사이트 UK has made significant strides toward universal open access, said Dr Jubb.

Thirty-seven per cent of UK articles are now freely available upon publication, up from just 20 per cent in 2014, 바카라사이트 data show. Globally, 바카라사이트 proportion rose from 18 to 25 per cent. ¡°The UK is very significantly ahead of 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world,¡± he said.

¡°The impacts of policies of Research Councils UK, of 바카라사이트 funding councils, of 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust, of o바카라사이트r medical charities...are all having a major effect,¡± added Dr Jubb.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com