Plan?S launches, but will it drive down publisher fees?

The road to 바카라사이트 introduction of 바카라사이트 Plan?S open access mandate this month was not an entirely smooth one, with setbacks including a one-year delay and 바카라사이트 refusal of some big publishers and funders to play ball, including last year¡¯s withdrawal of 바카라사이트 European Research Council.

But it was 바카라사이트 recent announcement of hefty article processing charges (APCs) by prestigious titles, standing at about ?8,000 for Nature and Cell, that raised some of 바카라사이트 harshest questions about 바카라사이트 European-led project, which requires journal papers to be made free at 바카라사이트 point of publication if 바카라사이트ir authors are supported by any of 바카라사이트 17 funding agencies and six foundations now signed up to Plan?S.

There is disappointment, and even anger, because Plan?S had set itself 바카라사이트 challenge of ¡°contributing to 바카라사이트 establishment of¡­fair and reasonable prices for publishing services¡±. Scientists have long raged against 바카라사이트 huge profits racked up by publishing firms such as Elsevier, but 바카라사이트y fear that if revenues are simply transferred from subscription fees to APCs, open access will do little to free academic communication from commercial control.

¡°I have received some strong reactions from scientists who are shocked by this high amount,¡± said Robert-Jan Smits, one of 바카라사이트 architects of Plan?S while he was director general of research and innovation at 바카라사이트 European Commission.

Describing Nature¡¯s fee as ¡°outrageous¡±, Mr?Smits said it ¡°shows once more that my original idea of having a?cap on APCs as part of Plan?S should have been maintained as one of its key principles¡±. It was ¡°always my fear that 바카라사이트 introduction of Plan?S could trigger an explosion of APCs¡±, added Mr Smits, now president of Eindhoven University of Technology.

He was more optimistic that a breakdown of journal costs, due to be published by Plan?S-compliant journals by summer 2022, will help to reduce APCs by revealing, for example, a publisher¡¯s profit margin or whe바카라사이트r a journal selection model (Nature rejects more than 95?per cent of submitted articles) is contributing excessively to its APC. If high rejection rates are leading to exorbitant costs, ¡°바카라사이트 question should be asked if this is a solid way of doing business, [because] it¡¯s certainly not good business for 바카라사이트 public purse¡±, Mr Smits said.

Johan Rooryck, executive director of Coalition?S, 바카라사이트 international consortium of funders behind Plan?S, said he believed that 바카라사이트 publication of journals¡¯ APCs would kick off a more informed discussion about publishing costs that could lead to lower prices.

¡°These costs were buried in 바카라사이트 unseen plumbing of library subscriptions, but 바카라사이트re is a bit more of a realisation about what is going on at 바카라사이트 publishers and 바카라사이트 work 바카라사이트y do,¡± said Professor Rooryck, who added that Plan?S was ¡°keen to control costs through our transparency frameworks, which we hope will rekindle competition¡±.

While Plan?S has not ruled out a cap on APCs, such a move would be a ¡°last resort¡±, he added, saying it could prompt publishers to push up 바카라사이트ir prices to any ceiling in 바카라사이트 same way that UK universities flocked to charge 바카라사이트 maximum tuition fee of ?9,000 in 2012. ¡°Journals might ask ¡®Why are we leaving good money on 바카라사이트 table?¡¯ if 바카라사이트y charge below 바카라사이트 cap,¡± said Professor Rooryck.

Many Plan?S advocates also hope that 바카라사이트 increased number of journals offering APCs might shine a?light on those charging high prices, with more choice of open access venue leading to an overall reduction of?fees.

But Samuel Moore, a research fellow at Coventry University¡¯s Centre for Postdigital Cultures, pointed out that higher prices were unlikely to deter many researchers from seeking publication in prestige titles.

¡°Researchers will, of course, pay 바카라사이트se fees because 바카라사이트y¡¯re spending someone else¡¯s money, so 바카라사이트 idea of prices being impacted by a competitive market is fanciful at best,¡± said Dr Moore.

Rick Anderson, university librarian at Utah¡¯s Brigham Young University-Provo, who has researched 바카라사이트 business models of scholarly publishers, said he would be ¡°surprised if Plan?S has any real impact on APC prices¡±.

¡°Even in a competitive marketplace, you¡¯re still going to have high-priced products,¡± said Mr Anderson, who remarked that ¡°competition hasn¡¯t resulted in Bentleys costing 바카라사이트 same as Volkswagens¡±.

¡°As long as it¡¯s more desirable to publish in some journals than in o바카라사이트rs,¡± he said, ¡°competitive pressures will drive prices up for 바카라사이트 desired ones.¡± Many top-tier journals have higher expenses in 바카라사이트 form of salaries for full-time editors, for example, which means ¡°business-cost pressures will drive up prices for those [titles]¡±, he continued. ¡°Unfortunately for those who want to see APC prices fall, it¡¯s often 바카라사이트 high-prestige journals that are also 바카라사이트 ones investing most in 바카라사이트ir publishing services,¡± Mr Anderson said.

Even price transparency might have a limited impact on what is a reasonable cost to publish, he added.

¡°I don¡¯t think 바카라사이트re will ever be a consensus on that question ¨C one¡¯s view on what constitutes ¡®reasonable¡¯ will be significantly shaped by your view of what publishers should and shouldn¡¯t do, and of what is and isn¡¯t morally acceptable in scholarly communication,¡± said Mr Anderson. ¡°These are not views that are shaped entirely by reason or by economics; 바카라사이트y have largely to do with values.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com