JISC

A new study commissioned by the Knowledge Exchange argues that there can be benefits to publishers if they switch to a model based on submission fees. There can be benefits to publishers if they switch to a model based on submission fees

Knowledge Exchange is a pan-European partnership between DFG (Germany), JISC (UK), DEFF (Denmark) and SURFfoundation (The Netherlands) who share a common vision to make scholarly and scientific content openly available on the internet.

The report 'Submission fees – A tool in the transition to Open Access?', written by Mark Ware, concludes that this model could be particularly relevant to journals with a high rejection rate.  They could combine submission fees with article processing charges in order to make the transition to open access easier.

JISC programme director Neil Jacobs comments:  "The public interest is best served by open access to the outputs from publicly-funded research.  While the internet makes this possible, it also disrupts business models, making it necessary to explore new ways to support essential work such as copyediting and the management of peer review.  Submission fees may offer a way forward for some journals, in what is likely to remain for some time a mixed economy.  JISC will continue to work with universities, publishers and other organisations to investigate viable ways to maximise the impact of the UK's excellent research."

In certain disciplines, notably economic and finance journals and in some areas of the experimental life sciences, submission fees are already common.

The model has attracted interest but publishers regard the risks, particularly those involved in any transition, as outweighing the perceived benefits. In addition, the advantages offered by submission fees might improve the overall system but do not provide publishers and authors with direct incentives to change to Open Access. To support any transition, funders, institutions and publication funds could explicitly allow submission fees as a cost as this is often unclear in their policies.

Author acceptance of submission fees is critical to the model’s success. There is evidence that authors will accept fees in some circumstances but this area does require further research.

Based on the interviews and the modelling used in the study the most suitable way to strengthen the Open Access business model is for authors to pay a submission fee plus an article processing fee.  Both fees need to be set at levels that are acceptable to authors while securing a meaningful mix of revenues for the publisher.

Download a summary of the outcomes of the study