scholarly journals The Library Solution: How Academic Libraries Could End the APC Scourge

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jefferson Pooley
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Current System ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Economic Framework ◽  
Alternative System ◽  
History Of ◽  
Article Processing Charges ◽  
The Cost

Media researcher and publisher Jeff Pooley responds to the European open access initiative, Plan S, outlining the history of the current system of author-paid article processing charges (APCs) and the ways this system perpetuates inequality across the publishing landscape. He proposes an alternative system wherein university libraries shoulder the cost to publish for affiliated faculty, and describes an economic framework that could make such a solution sustainable for authors, libraries, publishers, and scholarly societies.

scholarly journals Article processing charges for open access publication—the situation for research intensive universities in the USA and Canada

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2264 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Solomon ◽  
Bo-Christer Björk
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Social Sciences And Humanities ◽  
European Universities ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Western European ◽  
Article Processing Charges ◽  
The Cost

Background.Open access (OA) publishing via article processing charges (APCs) is growing as an alternative to subscription publishing. The Pay It Forward (PIF) Project is exploring the feasibility of transitioning from paying subscriptions to funding APCs for faculty at research intensive universities. Estimating of the cost of APCs for the journals authors at research intensive universities tend to publish is essential for the PIF project and similar initiatives. This paper presents our research into this question.Methods.We identified APC prices for publications by authors at the 4 research intensive United States (US) and Canadian universities involved in the study. We also obtained APC payment records from several Western European universities and funding agencies. Both data sets were merged with Web of Science (WoS) metadata. We calculated the average APCs for articles and proceedings in 13 discipline categories published by researchers at research intensive universities. We also identified 41 journals published by traditionally subscription publishers which have recently converted to APC funded OA and recorded the APCs they charge.Results.We identified 7,629 payment records from the 4 European APC payment databases and 14,356 OA articles authored by PIF partner university faculty for which we had listed APC prices. APCs for full OA journals published by PIF authors averaged 1,775 USD; full OA journal APCs paid by Western European funders averaged 1,865 USD; hybrid APCs paid by Western European funders averaged 2,887 USD. The APC for converted journals published by major subscription publishers averaged 1,825 USD. APC funded OA is concentrated in the life and basic sciences. APCs funded articles in the social sciences and humanities are often multidisciplinary and published in journals such as PLOS ONE that largely publish in the life sciences.Conclusions.Full OA journal APCs average a little under 2,000 USD while hybrid articles average about 3,000 USD for publications by researchers at research intensive universities. There is a lack of information on discipline differences in APCs due to the concentration of APC funded publications in a few fields and the multidisciplinary nature of research.

scholarly journals Library Councils and Governance in Canadian University Libraries: A Critical Review

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 60-79
Author(s):  
Eva Revitt ◽  
Sean Luyk
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Educational Administration ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Critical Review ◽  
Anecdotal Evidence ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Administrative Positions ◽  
History Of ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Collegial Governance

Despite the nearly 40-year history of library councils in Canadian academic libraries, scholarly literature regarding library governance and decision-making processes within the context of Canadian university libraries is almost non-existent. Nevertheless, there is evidence of a general disenfranchisement of librarians from significant decisions affecting library operations, resources, services, and the appointment and evaluation of senior administrative positions. Furthermore, it is evident that library councils in Canadian academic libraries, where they do exist, function primarily as information-sharing forums rather than as the collegial decision-making bodies they were originally intended to be. Through a close examination of the CAUT Bulletin, this paper traces the development of library councils in Canadian academic libraries. Within the framework of institutional theory and drawing from librarianship, management, and educational administration literature, the paper proceeds to critically discuss systematic barriers to collegial governance in academic libraries. Historical and anecdotal evidence suggests that administrative resistance is a continued and key obstacle to the democratization of decision-making processes in Canadian academic libraries.

The Cost of Publishing

2019 ◽  
pp. 164-171
Author(s):  
Michael Hochberg
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Scientific Publication ◽  
Academic Society ◽  
Major Shift ◽  
Article Processing Charges ◽  
The Cost

The cost of publishing is hotly debated. Until the 1990s, publication was either free of charge, paid per page or per article, or covered partially or completely if subscribing to a journal or if a member of the academic society overseeing a journal. A major shift occurred in the early 2000s when new “Open Access” publishers made articles freely available for all to read and reuse, with article processing charges being covered by the author. This chapter discusses the paradigm shift and how it has changed the landscape of who pays for scientific publication.

scholarly journals The cost-effectiveness of the article-processing-charge-funded model across countries in different scientific blocks: the case of Elsevier's hybrid open access journals

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zohreh Estakhr ◽  
Hajar Sotudeh ◽  
Javad Abbaspour ◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Open Access ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Scientific Development ◽  
Article Processing Charge ◽  
Publishing Article ◽  
Open Access Journals ◽  
Article Processing Charges ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Citation Advantage

Introduction. The present study investigated the cost-effectiveness of article-processing-charge-funded model across the world countries in terms of its citation value proportional to the article processing charges. Method. Using a comparative citation analysis method at the macro level, it explored a sample of articles in forty-seven Elsevier hybrid open access journals that had been following the model since 2007. Analysis. The contributing countries' open access citation advantages were calculated based on the percentage of their open access citation surplus proportional to that of their non-open access articles. Their relative open access citation cost-effectiveness was obtained based on their open access citation counts proportional to the article processing charges, normalised by those of non-open access papers. The countries were categorised into four scientific blocks using Rand's categorization of countries' scientific development. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data in SPSS. Results. The results supported the citation advantage of the article-processing-charge-funded papers, encompassing the majority of the contributing countries in the four scientific development blocks. The articles showed relative cost-effectiveness over the years and for most countries in all the scientific development blocks. Conclusions. Publishing article-processing-charge-funded papers is relatively cost-effective, implying higher visibility and influence in exchange for the money paid.

scholarly journals Prospects for academic libraries in science information environment

2021 ◽  
pp. 83-100
Author(s):  
N. P. Krylova ◽  
E. N. Levashov
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Information Environment ◽  
Library Services ◽  
State University ◽  
Digital Environment ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Service Efficiency ◽  
History Of ◽  
Science Information ◽  
Intensive Growth

The author systematize history of Russian university libraries, analyze their progressing in digital environment, and discuss new possibilities for modernizing education and academic libraries, in particular. The laws and regulations for university libraries are reviewed; their functions and services are specified. As a result of global information processes intensive growth, the demand for elibraries and their services have been increasing. The students of Cherepovets State University were surveyed on the issues of library service efficiency. The survey proved the significance and relevance of library services for the students; the strengths and weaknesses of library services were identified. The authors emphasize the need for intensifying marketing component in library activities and promotion of its services, and for studying target audience demands. The prospects for academic libraries are also discussed.

scholarly journals The Potential of a Cost-Per-Use Analysis to Assess the Value of Library Open-Access Funds

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 99-101
Author(s):  
Jessica Koos
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Biomed Central ◽  
Journal Articles ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Article Usage ◽  
Article Processing Charges ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Design Cost ◽  
The Impact

A Review of: Hampson, C., & Stregger, E. (2017). Measuring cost per use of library-funded open access article processing charges: Examination and implications of one method. Journal of Librarianship & Scholarly Communication, 5(1), eP2182. https://doi.org/10.7710/2162-3309.2182 Abstract Objective – To determine the feasibility and potential effects of a cost-per-use analysis of library funds dedicated to open access. Design – Cost-per-use analysis, case study. Setting – PLOS and BioMed Central. Subjects – 591 articles published in PLOS ONE, 165 articles published in PLOS Biology, and 17 articles published in BioMed Central. Methods – Three specific examples are provided of how academic libraries can employ a cost-per-use analysis in order to determine the impact of library-based open access (OA) funds. This method is modeled after the traditional cost-per-use method of analyzing a library collection, and facilitates comparison to other non-OA items. The first example consisted of using a formula dividing the total library-funded article processing charges (APCs) by the total global use of the specific PLOS journal articles that were funded. The second and third examples demonstrated what a library-funded OA membership to BioMed Central would cost alone, and then with APCs that cost could be divided by the total usage of the funded articles to determine cost-per-use. Main Results – The authors found both of the examples described in the article to be potential ways of determining cost-per-use of OA articles, with some limitations. For instance, counting article usage through the publisher’s website may not capture the true usage of an article, as it does not take altmetrics into consideration. In addition, article-level data is not always readily available. In addition, the cost-per-use of OA articles was found to be very low, ranging from $0.01 to $1.51 after the first three years of publication based on the cost of library-funded APCs. The second and third methods revealed a cost-per-use of $0.10 using membership-only payments, while using the cost of membership plus APCs resulted in a cost-per-use of $0.41. Conclusion – Libraries may wish to consider using these methods for demonstrating the value of OA funds in terms of return on investment, as these techniques allow for direct comparison to the usage of traditional journals. However, several barriers need to be overcome in how article-level usage is obtained in order for these methods to be more accurate and efficient. In addition, while the authors report that "The specific examples in this study suggest that OA APCs may compare favorably to traditional publishing when considering value for money based on cost per use," they also caution that the study was not designed to answer the question if the ROI is greater for OA publications than for traditional articles, stating that "...the data in this study should not be interpreted as a verification of such an argument, as this study was not designed to answer that question, nor can it do so given the limitations on the data. This paper was designed to present and illustrate a method. Further study would be necessary to verify or refute this possibility" (p. 15).

Collaborative Weeding Among Public University Libraries Can Lead to Cost Savings for All

2018 ◽  
pp. 1409-1435
Author(s):  
Helen N. Levenson
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Public University ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Cost Of Quality ◽  
Acquisition Costs ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Preliminary Phase

All academic libraries strive to have the highest quality collections which their acquisition budgets can support. However, the cost of quality resources continues to regularly increase, typically without corresponding increases in acquisition budgets. Additionally, print resources come with associated storage costs which are less tangible to measure than acquisition costs but which nonetheless have impact on overall library operations and expenditures. Storage and retention costs can have a substantial negative impact on general library usage, relevancy, and budget allocations. This chapter will focus on the management of retaining and weeding print monographs within the medium-sized public academic library and what a group of Michigan public academic libraries are doing to collectively address weeding and retention issues through the preliminary phase of a program called the Michigan Shared Print Initiative (MI-SPI).

Collaborative Weeding among Public University Libraries Can Lead to Cost Savings for All

2016 ◽  
pp. 130-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen N. Levenson
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Public University ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Cost Of Quality ◽  
Acquisition Costs ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Preliminary Phase

All academic libraries strive to have the highest quality collections which their acquisition budgets can support. However, the cost of quality resources continues to regularly increase, typically without corresponding increases in acquisition budgets. Additionally, print resources come with associated storage costs which are less tangible to measure than acquisition costs but which nonetheless have impact on overall library operations and expenditures. Storage and retention costs can have a substantial negative impact on general library usage, relevancy, and budget allocations. This chapter will focus on the management of retaining and weeding print monographs within the medium-sized public academic library and what a group of Michigan public academic libraries are doing to collectively address weeding and retention issues through the preliminary phase of a program called the Michigan Shared Print Initiative (MI-SPI).

scholarly journals Three new suggested guidelines for increased transparency regarding open access article processing charges (APCs)

2020 ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Business Model ◽  
Article Processing Charge ◽  
Wide Debate ◽  
Financial Transparency ◽  
Article Processing Charges ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Gold Open Access ◽  
Open Access Article

The article processing charge (APC) lies at the heart of the gold open access (GOA) business model. Small and larger society-based, as well as commercial publishers, rely – to different extents – on the APC and the GOA model to thrive. There is wide debate regarding what amount of APC is considered to be exploitative, and the issue of low APCs is often erroneously associated with “predatory” OA publishing. Independent of this debate, there is still, surprisingly, considerable opacity related to the APC used to cover the cost of  GOA. In a bid to increase transparency, a simple 3-point plan at increasing academic and financial transparency of authors and journals/publishers regarding APCs is proposed: 1) indicate which author paid the APC in multi-author papers; 2) indicate the value of the APC paid; 3) provide online proof or certification of APC payment, including the indication of any discounts or waivers.

scholarly journals Only two out of five articles by New Zealand researchers are free-to-access: a multiple API study of access, citations, cost of Article Processing Charges (APC), and the potential to increase the proportion of open access

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11417
Author(s):  
Richard K.A. White ◽  
Anton Angelo ◽  
Deborah Fitchett ◽  
Moira Fraser ◽  
Luqman Hayes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Open Access ◽  
Journal Articles ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Funding Agencies ◽  
Harvest Data ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Article Processing Charges ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Sample Set

We studied journal articles published by researchers at all eight New Zealand universities in 2017 to determine how many were freely accessible on the web. We wrote software code to harvest data from multiple sources, code that we now share to enable others to reproduce our work on their own sample set. In May 2019, we ran our code to determine which of the 2017 articles were open at that time and by what method; where those articles would have incurred an Article Processing Charge (APC) we calculated the cost if those charges had been paid. Where articles were not freely available we determined whether the policies of publishers in each case would have allowed deposit in a non-commercial repository (Green open access). We also examined citation rates for different types of access. We found that, of our 2017 sample set, about two out of every five articles were freely accessible without payment or subscription (41%). Where research was explicitly said to be funded by New Zealand’s major research funding agencies, the proportion was slightly higher at 45%. Where open articles would have incurred an APC we estimated an average cost per article of USD1,682 (for publications where all articles require an APC, that is, Gold open access) and USD2,558 (where APC payment is optional, Hybrid open access) at a total estimated cost of USD1.45m. Of the paid options, Gold is by far more common for New Zealand researchers (82% Gold, 18% Hybrid). In terms of citations, our analysis aligned with previous studies that suggest a correlation between publications being freely accessible and, on balance, slightly higher rates of citation. This is not seen across all types of open access, however, with Diamond OA achieving the lowest rates. Where articles were not freely accessible we found that a very large majority of them (88% or 3089 publications) could have been legally deposited in an institutional repository. Similarly, only in a very small number of cases had a version deposited in the repository of a New Zealand university made the difference between the publication being freely accessible or not (125 publications). Given that most New Zealand researchers support research being open, there is clearly a large gap between belief and practice in New Zealand’s research ecosystem.

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