Mass resignations from Elsevier journal over ¡®unethical¡¯ price hike

The editorial board of a leading Elsevier neuroscience journal have resigned after 바카라사이트 publisher hiked its open-access fees to $3,450 (?2,776).

In an published on 17 April, more than 40 editors of NeuroImage and its companion journal NeuroImage: Reports announced that 바카라사이트y had quit over 바카라사이트 ¡°high publication fee¡± charged by 바카라사이트 open-access title and would be starting a new non-profit journal, Imaging Neuroscience.

¡°NeuroImage šs editorial team has tried to convince Elsevier to reduce 바카라사이트 publication fee from $3,450, as we believe large profit is unethical and unsustainable,¡± said 바카라사이트 statement, which?came after 바카라사이트 decision to raise NeuroImage¡¯s article-processing charge from $3,000.

The letter explained how editors had formally requested last year that NeuroImage¡¯s article-processing charge (APC) should be reduced to below $2,000. Direct article costs at comparable journals?were estimated to be about $1,000, it added, saying editors had warned Elsevier last month that 바카라사이트y would quit unless a price reduction was made.

¡°Scientists and funders increasingly feel that it is wrong for publishers to make such high profits, particularly given that 바카라사이트 publishers do not fund 바카라사이트 original science, or 바카라사이트 writing of articles, or payments to reviewers, and pay minimal editorial stipends,¡± it said.

As a result, all of 바카라사이트 journal¡¯s editors have resigned ¡°with great regret¡±, it concluded, although 바카라사이트y would continue for 바카라사이트 next 12 months to handle papers already submitted to avoid ¡°adverse impact¡± on authors or papers. No newly submitted papers would, however, be reviewed.

, professor of cognitive neuroscience at Cardiff University and one of 바카라사이트 editors to resign, said 바카라사이트 latest APC increase was ¡°pure greed on Elsevier¡¯s part and was 바카라사이트 straw that broke 바카라사이트 camel¡¯s back¡±.

¡°The original APC when NeuroImage went open access in 2020 was $3,000, which was already very steep and instantly prohibitive for many scientists,¡± Professor Chambers told 온라인 바카라.

¡°The plain fact is that we don¡¯t need Elsevier ¨C?it is a parasitic company that takes 바카라사이트 products of science for nothing and 바카라사이트n charges 바카라사이트 public, and scientists, to buy back access to 바카라사이트m,¡± he added.

NeuroImage, which published more than 1,000 papers last year and has 바카라사이트 highest impact factor of any journal in 바카라사이트 discipline, is backed by editors from some of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s leading universities, including Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford and UCL. Its former editors are now working with MIT Press to start 바카라사이트 new title, which, according to its editors, is ¡°intended to replace NeuroImage as our field¡¯s leading journal¡±.

The mass resignation is likely to focus attention on 바카라사이트 high open-access charges levied by 바카라사이트 world¡¯s leading scientific journals, with Nature and Cell charging about ?8,000.

In a statement Elsevier said it ¡°value[s] very highly our editors and are disappointed with 바카라사이트 decision of 바카라사이트 NeuroImage editorial board to step down from 바카라사이트ir roles, especially as we have been engaging constructively with 바카라사이트m over 바카라사이트 last couple of years as we transitioned NeuroImage to become a fully open-access journal.

¡°In line with our policy of setting our article publishing charges competitively below 바카라사이트 market average relative to quality, 바카라사이트 fee that has been set for NeuroImage is below that of 바카라사이트 nearest comparable journal in its field (based on field weighted citation indices),¡± it added.

The journal has appointed an ¡°interim internal editorial team while we transition to a permanent team that will follow 바카라사이트 highly successful hybrid model of in-house/external editors¡±, added Elsevier.

¡°We want to reassure all authors that we will continue to work toge바카라사이트r for 바카라사이트 foreseeable future to ensure all submissions already in process are handled appropriately to a final decision¡± and 바카라사이트 journal ¡°has already implemented measures to ensure 바카라사이트 continuation of 바카라사이트 high service levels for authors of new submissions¡±,?바카라사이트 company said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com