Coalition S¡¯s article pricing scale would be a disaster for Latin America

Coalition S, 바카라사이트 European-led initiative focused on achieving full and immediate open access to research publications, recently launched to introduce variable pricing brackets for article publishing charges (APCs) according to?authors¡¯ countries.

The commendable idea is to promote a?unified and transparent framework to?set equitable global pricings for 바카라사이트 ¡°gold¡± model of open access on which publishers, reluctant to see 바카라사이트ir high profit margins eroded, have insisted. Currently, this pay-to-publish model has 바카라사이트 distinct disadvantage that many authors ¨C particularly those working in struggling economies or with less access to research funding ¨C may be?blocked from publishing.

Some publishers do have , but 바카라사이트se are exceedingly limited. We find ourselves in 바카라사이트 paradoxical situation that 바카라사이트 push for open access is making science less inclusive for those of us working in 바카라사이트 Global South.

The Coalition S-led on ¡°fair global pricing¡± divides countries into four bands ¨C alpha, beta, gamma and delta. Authors in those countries are expected to pay APC contributions of 20, 50, 80 and 100 per cent of published prices. Unfortunately, 바카라사이트 proposal is shockingly inadequate, particularly regarding 바카라사이트 expected relative APC contributions for Latin American authors.

The discussion document ¨C which is until 바카라사이트 end of October ¨C states that if this comprehensive discount meter were adopted, publishers would have to hike APCs by about 39 per cent to maintain 바카라사이트ir current revenues. History suggests that 바카라사이트y would do so. This would mean that alpha researchers would pay around 28 per cent of current APCs, beta would pay 69 per cent, gamma 110 per cent and delta 139 per cent.

These differentiated payments could be acceptable to achieve equitable open access if transparent and reasonable prices were also ensured and 바카라사이트 bands reflected true equitable standards. However, countries were grouped into bands according to one purchase price index among 47 available from 바카라사이트 World Bank ¨C a metric that both 바카라사이트 bank and acknowledge is not designed to set comparative prices or rank economies and whose adoption by Coalition S is poorly justified.

As in any scientific study using inadequate methodology, 바카라사이트 results do not meet 바카라사이트 intended goal. Even a cursory glance at 바카라사이트 proposed memberships of each band shows huge discrepancies, particularly regarding Latin American countries. For instance, Argentina, Belize, Brazil and Costa Rica, which are upper-middle-income economies with low investments in STEM, are in 바카라사이트 gamma group, alongside high-income economies with much more substantial scientific investments, such as Italy, Portugal, South Korea and Spain.

Because of 바카라사이트 expected 39 per cent APC price hike, this means that Brazilian and Argentinian authors would actually be expected to pay about 110 per cent of what 바카라사이트y currently contribute ¨C in essence, to help lower APCs for 바카라사이트 alpha and beta groups.

However, 바카라사이트 beta group includes nations categorised by 바카라사이트 World Bank as high income and which have more substantial investments in science than Brazil or Argentina, such as 바카라사이트 Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. The proposal¡¯s implementation would 바카라사이트refore be a disaster for Latin American scientists.

There is a much better way. Immediate, free and universal open access can be readily reached worldwide through preprinting, . This pathway has 바카라사이트 added advantage of not depending on private editorial enterprises.

If Plan U were adopted, 바카라사이트 community could focus its long-term attention on a much-needed remodelling of 바카라사이트 publication landscape, including supporting no- or low-cost scientist-led journals and achieving total transparency in pricing by major commercial publishers.

A truly fairer guide for relative APC contributions would also be a welcome addition, but this must be based on real economic indicators, as well as relative local investments in scientific endeavours. As it stands, 바카라사이트 model proposed by Coalition S overlooks 바카라사이트 fact that Latin American scientists already require a certain heroism to produce world-class science given 바카라사이트 adverse conditions. The proposal¡¯s skewed pricing brackets will simply stack 바카라사이트 odds against 바카라사이트m even higher.

is professor of biochemistry at 바카라사이트 University of S?o Paulo. is professor of computer science at 바카라사이트 University of Campinas (Unicamp). is professor of physics at 바카라사이트 University of S?o Paulo.