Disrupt ing the subscription journals’ business model for the necessary large - scale transformation to open acces

This paper mak
es
the
strong
, fact
-
based
case
for
a
large
-
scale tra
n
sformation of
the current
corpus of scientific subscription journals to an open access business model. The existing journals,
with their well
-
tested functionalities, should be retained and developed to meet the demands of
21
st
century resea
rch, while the underlying payment streams undergo a major restructuring.
There is sufficient momentum for this decisive push towards open access publishing. The diverse
existing initiatives must be coordinated so as to converge on this clear goal
.
The
inte
rnational
nature of research implies that this transformation will be achieved on a truly global scale only
through a consensus of the world’s most eminent research organizations. All the indications are
that the money already invested in the research publ
ishing system is sufficient to enable a
transformation that will be sustainable for the future. There needs to be a shared understanding
that the money currently locked in the journal subscription system must be withdrawn and re
-
purposed for open access pu
blishing services. The current library acquisition budgets are the
ultimate reservoir for enabling the transformation without financial or other risks. The goal is to
preserve the established service levels provided by publishers that are still requested b
y
researchers, while redefining and reorganizing the necessary payment streams. By disrupting the
underlying business model, the viability of journal publishing can be preserved and put on a solid
footing for the scholarly developments of the future.


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Authors: Ralf Schimmer, Kai Karin Geschuhn, Andreas Vogler
Publication year: 2015
Language: English (EN)
Level of knowledge: Advanced: apply
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