Who Pays for Open Access?
An extract form the first of three editorials in PLoS Biology which address widespread misunderstandings about open access:
“Here we address…the perception that the publication-charge model puts an unfair burden on authors. Subsequently, we will address concerns about the long-term economic viability of the open-access model, the integrity and quality of work published in open-access journals, and the effect that open access will have on schol arl y societies….Perhaps the real misconception about the unfair burden that open access places on authors resides in the terminology –the term ‘author charge’ is itself misleading. Publication fees are not borne purely by authors, but are shared by the many organizations whose missions depend on the broadest possible dissemination and communication of scientific discoveries.
http://www.plosbiology.org/plosonline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.0020105
An extract from the second of the three editorials titled "Open Access and Scientific Societies":
"Setting aside for the moment the question of how feasible it is for societies to alter their journals’ access policies, there is by now a broad consensus that widespread open access to scientific publications is good for scientists and good for science. Society members want to maximize the impact of their work—and articles that are freely available online are cited more frequently than those that are not.
Scientific societies perform an array of tremendously valuable functions for their constituents and disciplines. Researchers, educators, and others join societies for the many benefits of membership beyond simply discounted or “free” subscriptions to journals, so the concern that open-access publications would be the death knell of voluntary academic associations is misguided."
http://www.plosbiology.org/plosonline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.0020156
