Re: Calculating the Cost per Article in the Current Subscription

["Peter Banks" <pbanks@diabetes.org>]

I am tempted, of course, to note that the epicenter of Open Access
publishing is in San Francisco, rather than Bakersfield or Eureka.

With new technology (and a new mindset among editors), it may indeed be
possible to have editorial offices based in rural locations, and editors
connected from many different locations. (In fact, our journal Diabetes
Care is managed from an office in Indiana, though the editorial team is in
Los Angeles. I can't say costs are dramatically lower, but the concept
works in principle).

Thanks for the leads on publishing solutions. 

Peter Banks
Publisher
American Diabetes Association
Email: pbanks@diabetes.org

>>> Heather Morrison <heatherm@eln.bc.ca> 1/4/2005 12:05:29 PM >>>

A cost of $1,700 per published manuscript may not be in the running for
the world's most efficient operation, but it's not bad at all - way below
the low end average cost in Phil Davis' wonderful spreadsheet of $2,500,
and definitely less than Springer's Open Choice option at $3,000.  
Congratulations!

As for how to run journal operations as efficiently as possible - if it is
very expensive to rent space at a major university, why not look for less
expensive space?

One of my theories on why publishing at present is more expensive than it
would need to be in the future, is because publishers are concentrated in
very expensive places - if not major universities, then major cities like
New York, London, etc. - where rents and costs of living are at their
highest (and therefore, salaries are likely to be above-average as well).

In an e-only world, with increasing internet connectivity in smaller
centres and even rural areas, publishers could relocate to less expensive
locations.  For that matter, some of the work involved in publishing, such
as editing, seems to be particularly well suited for telecommuting -
rather than trying to fit a body into an already-crowded university, there
could be situations where an individual could work in a smaller community
where they could afford a home large enough to accomodate a comfortable
office.  Not only is there less need for office space, there is less need
for commuting - a lifestyle advantage for the individual, and better for
the environment, too!

Another idea for reducing costs is to take advantage of free or low-cost
publishing software / hosting options.  Some examples: Public Knowledge
Project - Open Journal Systems - http://www.pkp.ubc.ca/ ICAAP
http://www.icaap.org/index_en.html (International Coalition for the
Advancement of Academic Publications):  journal creation from $3,600 Cdn
(about $3,000 US; ongoing journal hosting, maintenance and conversion from
$1,840 Cdn per year (about $1,500 U.S). coming soon:  DPubs
http://dpubs.org/ - Cornell plans to release this general-purpose journal
management system as open-source...

[SNIP]

Heather Morrison