Re: Springer Open Choice uptake affects 2011 journal pricing

[Jan Velterop <velteropvonleyden@btinternet.com>]

The presumed linearity of the relationship between subscription 
price and OA uptake is problematic.

Suppose the subscription price is $1500 and the OA fee $3000 per 
article. If an uptake of 10 articles coincides with the 
cancellation of 20 subscriptions, the net income difference for 
the publisher is nil (ignoring agents fees and discounts). So why 
would it then be justified to expect a reduction in subscription 
price?

Jan Velterop

On 22 Jun 2010, at 03:39, Stevan Harnad wrote:

> I am not a library serials budget specialist, but it seems to me
> reasonable to ask (especially in view of the OUP press release
> about decline in the uptake of this option) (1) what was the
> percentage uptake and (2) what was the resulting percentage
> reduction?
>
> Stevan
>
> On 2010-06-18, at 12:07 PM, Peter Suber wrote:
>
>> [Forwarding from Springer.  --Peter Suber.]
>>
>> PRESS RELEASE
>>
>> Springer Open Choice uptake affects 2011 journal pricing
>>
>> Heidelberg / Dordrecht / New York / London, 18 June 2010
>>
>> Springer has analyzed the uptake of its open access option Open
> Choice for articles published in 2009 and is pleased to share its
> impact on 2011 pricing.
>>
>> Springer Open Choice allows authors to publish their article
> with open access in exchange for payment of a fee, for the
> majority of its journals.  The articles are then immediately
> freely available and the copyright remains with the author, and
> articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution
> Non-Commercial License.  These articles can be self-archived with
> immediate access.
>>
>> A detailed analysis of the Open Choice articles published in
> 2009 showed that over 30 journals published a significant share
> of paid open access articles in 2009.  This will be reflected in
> these journals' 2011 subscription prices.
>>
>> Wim van der Stelt, EVP Business Development at Springer, says:
> 'We have always said that we would monitor the uptake of the Open
> Choice offering closely.  In 2010, we already adjusted
> subscription prices for a small group of journals and the group
> of journals with a significant number of paid Open Choice
> articles has grown further.  We are therefore pleased to reflect
> this in the 2011 pricing.  We believe that this emphasizes the
> constructive attitude of Springer towards open access, which we
> have shown previously by pioneering Open Choice in 2004 and
> acquiring BioMed Central in 2008.'
>>
>>
>> Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com) is a leading
> global scientific publisher, delivering quality content through
> innovative information products and services.  The company is
> also a trusted provider of local-language professional
> publications in Europe, especially in Germany and the
> Netherlands.  In the science, technology and medicine (STM)
> sector, the group publishes around 2,000 journals and more than
> 6,500 new books a year, as well as the largest STM eBook
> Collection worldwide.  Springer has operations in about 20
> countries in Europe, the USA, and Asia, and more than 5,000
> employees.  In 2009, it generated annual sales of around EUR 857
> million.
>>