... The [article-processing charge] model is compatible with other revenue streams, such as underwriting by sponsoring organization ..., donations, philanthropic grants, advertising, sales of print subscriptions, sales of merchandise, etc. So let me touch a third rail and suggest another method of defraying costs for OA journals: submission fees.
... [Look] at the numbers from PLoS: they’re rejecting 9 out of 10 papers submitted. The 9 rejected papers require editorial resources, but they don’t pay any of that cost. ... So, what do you do when demand for editorial resources is outstripping the supply of said resources? You raise the price. ...
I would propose a moderate amount [for the fee], in the range of $20-$100 per submission. I find it hard to believe that an author who feels strongly that her paper is suitable for a certain publication will be unable or unwilling to contribute $50 to that publication’s continued operation, or that $50 per submission will be an undue burden. ...
I expect demand [for submissions] would be fairly inelastic. Here’s why: all the authors submitting to an APC-levying journal already know that if accepted, they’ll have to pay the APC (subject to discounts and waivers). So they’re willing and able to pay. ...
So would it actually generate revenue for the journal? Well, let’s take the example of a fairly selective journal with a fairly high APC: a 90% rejection rate and a $2,000 APC. A $100 submission fee would generate $900 of additional revenue for each accepted article. That’s a 45% increase in revenue, which is not chump change. Even a journal with only a 50% rejection rate, a $2,500 APC, and a $100 submission fee could result in a 20% increase in revenue. ...
In summary, I speculate that submission fees could generate significant revenue for APC-model OA journals without significantly decreasing submissions or unduly burdening authors. Worth a shot, no? ...
Posted by
Gavin Baker at 10/19/2008 10:28:00 PM.
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.
I recommend the OA tracking project (OATP) as the best way to stay on top of new OA developments. You can read the OATP feed on a blog-like web page or subscribe to it by RSS, email, or Twitter. You can also help build the feed by tagging new developments you encounter.
