Re: Author Publication Charge Debate

From: Suhail A. R. <sd2_at_gmx.net>
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2004 09:10:45 -0800

Sally Moris (ALPSP) wrote:

> I wonder whether publishers of OA journals couldn't all accept, on the same
> kind of basis as the HINARI and other similar arrangements for
> free/discounted subscriptions, that they would waive fees entirely to
> authors in the first band of countries, and discount them (half?) to the
> next band. Then all would be consistent

This wouldn't work as the OA journals financial needs will be given
precedence always. It would only work if an outside body (unrelated
to them) regulated their waivers, and this obviously they will not
accept. Your post however suggests to me another way out. Just like BMC
which currently has an institutional subscription, the value of which
is based on size of institution (or something similar) up to a value of
7000 USD per year (or thereabouts), why dont existing journals classify
institutions too, based on maybe a questionnaire delivered to them. After
that an institutional toll be set for that institution per year without
payment of which, authors from that institution cannot publish in that
journal. Non-affiliated authors to institutions in the journals list are
free obviously. Access to researchers is then open as all publishing
money will come from these graded institutional tolls. I look forward
to feedback on this.
Received on Wed Feb 11 2004 - 17:10:45 GMT