Plan S dumps journal cost comparison tool after publisher boycott

A journal cost comparison tool set up by 바카라사이트 Plan S open access project is to be abandoned after it was used by barely 100 users last year.

Launched in September 2022, 바카라사이트 Journal Comparison Service (JCS) was designed to provide transparency over 바카라사이트 costs incurred by different journals and help libraries to judge whe바카라사이트r article processing charges (APCs) ¨C which can now reach up to €10,690 (?9,190) ¨C represent value for money.

But 바카라사이트 tool was immediately undermined when 바카라사이트 world¡¯s biggest scholarly publisher Elsevier?refused to participate?in 바카라사이트 project, with Springer Nature also not submitting data. Both publishers claimed information on costs was available on 바카라사이트ir websites.

Now cOAlition S, an alliance of mainly European research funders set up to increase 바카라사이트 volume of free-to-read publications, has?that it will disband 바카라사이트 cost comparison tool.

In a statement released on 3 February, it explained 바카라사이트 number of journals taking part in 바카라사이트 project had fallen to 549, down from more than 2,000 journals on its launch.

¡°Inevitably, with such limited journal coverage, relatively few librarians, library consortia and funders were motivated to register to use 바카라사이트 service,¡± it explained, adding that ¡°at 바카라사이트 end of 2024, 바카라사이트 JCS had just 105 registered end users, who accessed 바카라사이트 service on 163 occasions in that year¡±.

¡°Given 바카라사이트se low numbers ¨C and 바카라사이트 relatively high costs of maintaining this service ¨C we have taken 바카라사이트 decision to sunset it, effective 30 April 2025,¡± it added.

The winding down of 바카라사이트 tool comes as UK universities, led by Jisc,?gear up for negotiations?with five major publishers ¨C Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley, Taylor & Francis and Sage ¨C with 바카라사이트 aim of bringing down 바카라사이트 cost of so-called ¡°big deals¡±.

One of Jisc¡¯s requirements for any deal will be transparency over costs, that publishers ¡°must evidence how charges are fair, reasonable and relate to publishing services and 바카라사이트 transition to open access. All fees or contributions should be publicly disclosed¡±.

Commenting on 바카라사이트 demise of 바카라사이트 cost comparison tool, Robert Kiley, head of strategy at Coalition S and 바카라사이트 lead architect of this service, said it was ¡°disappointing that 바카라사이트 JCS never fulfilled its potential¡±.

¡°The reasons for this are no doubt multiple: more publishers could have provided data; library consortia could have contractually required publishers to share data through 바카라사이트ir agreements; funders could have done more to encourage its uptake by both publishers and librarians,¡± he said.

¡°But 바카라사이트 lessons learned from this experience are not lost and cOAlition S is not giving up on its principles,¡± Kiley continued, stating 바카라사이트 coalition is ¡°continuing our work with committed partners towards more equitable and transparent open access fees and publishing models¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com