Variations on Open Access: a study of the financial and non-financial effects of alternative business models for scholarly journals, posted November 11. An overview of an important study co-sponsored by ALPSP, AAAS, and HighWire, and conducted by the Kaufman-Wills Group. Excerpt: 'The objective of the study is to determine the impact of open access on scholarly journals' financial and non-financial factors. In the first stage of the study, the researchers have surveyed two populations: [1] Full Open Access Journals. Journals listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals. All 1,151 journals with deliverable email addresses received a questionnaire (some 200 journals in the Directory did not have deliverable email addresses). [2] Delayed Open Access Journals. Journals hosted by HighWire Press and participating in the 'DC Principles'. 184 journals received a questionnaire. The survey consisted of 33 closed-ended and 5 open-ended questions and addressed the following major categories: [1] Demographic: Including type of publisher, location of publishing offices, subject area, type of content published; [2] Financial: Including revenue models, sources of financial support, percentage of total each revenue type represents, revenue trends and expectations, current surplus or deficit; [3] Non-financial: Including print format, copyediting policy, number of internal/external peer reviews, services offered to Authors, copyright and permissions policies, pre/post-publishing rights of authors.' Also see a PPT presentation of the preliminary findings.
(PS: One of the two principal investigators on the study is my sister, Cara Kaufman. I have to say this as a disclaimer. But I hope that my own clear preference for OA does not affect Cara's well-earned reputation for objectivity. I don't have a finger in this study. She and her partner, Alma Wills, have done a superb job collecting data. Digesting the data will take more time, but the preliminary findings are already fascinating and useful. Don't take my word for it; that's the point of the disclaimer. Trust ALPSP, AAAS, and Highwire to hire a top-notch team and examine its work for yourselves.)
Posted by
Peter Suber at 11/12/2004 09:33:00 AM.
The open access movement:
Putting peer-reviewed scientific and scholarly literature
on the internet. Making it available free of charge and
free of most copyright and licensing restrictions.
Removing the barriers to serious research.
