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Open access publishers: The new players
Rosângela Schwarz Rodrigues1, Ernest Abadal2,3, Breno Kricheldorf Hermes de Araújo4
1Graduate Programa of Library and Information Science, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil.
This study reveals a growing oligopoly in academic publishing, with Springer and PLOS dominating journals. Many journals remain free of article processing charges, though medicine is the most expensive area.
Area of Science:
- Scholarly publishing
- Open access journals
- Academic publishing industry
Background:
- Journals are vital registries of scientific knowledge, raising concerns about ownership and access models.
- The Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) Seal signifies high standards in open access publishing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the characteristics of publishers with DOAJ Seal journals.
- To identify publishers and journals awarded the DOAJ Seal.
- To examine publisher expansion models and article processing charges (APCs).
Main Methods:
- Utilized the DOAJ database and its Seal filter.
- Collected data on publisher, journal title, country, article volume, knowledge area, APCs (USD), publication time, and indexing year.
- Analyzed publisher characteristics and APCs for DOAJ Seal journals.
Main Results:
- A rapidly consolidating oligopoly is evident, with Springer (35% of titles) and PLOS (20% of articles) as major players.
- Identified three publisher expansion models: few large titles, many mixed-size titles, or many medium-size titles.
- Found 27% of journals lack APCs across all areas; medicine has the highest APCs.
Conclusions:
- Commercial publishers exert significant control, potentially prioritizing corporate interests over scientific community needs.
- Despite the rise of APCs, a substantial portion of journals remain free to publish in.
- Understanding publisher dynamics is crucial for equitable access to scientific research.
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