Open Access Publishing Funding Models

[heatherm@eln.bc.ca]

**   with apologies for cross-posting	**

It is a common misconception, IMHO, that open access publishing is the
same as the "author-pays"  model of funding open access publications.

If you carefully examine many of the journals listed in the Directory of
Open Access Journals, it is clear that a great many journals do not use
this method of funding at all.

One example:  the Canadian Medical Association Journal, CMAJ ,
http://www.cmaj.ca/, is open access and does not charge authors.  Since
1997, CMAJ has tripled its impact factor, and is now among the top 5
medical journals in the world in terms of impact factor. I'm not sure how
CMAJ is funded, but the advantages to CMA are clear:  making this
publication openly accessible enhances the impact of CMAJ, and its
authors, many of whom are no doubt CMA members.

If you're sceptical about the economics, consider just how much of the
work that goes into the production of scholarly research articles is
either paid for by government or other funding agencies, universities, or
through voluntary work on the part of authors.  Factor in the availability
of free, open source software to manage the publication process, and that
any organization with a web site likely has ready access to all the server
space needed for a journal at no additional cost...

Perhaps other membership-based organizations would be well advised to
follow suit.

Heather Morrison
Project Coordinator
BC Electronic Library Network
heatherm@eln.bc.ca
604-268-7001
Fax:  604-291-3023
WAC Bennett Library
8888 University Drive
Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6