Re: Springer Open Choice uptake affects 2011 journal pricing

[Bernd-Christoph Kaemper <bernd-christoph.kaemper@ub.uni-stuttgart.de>]

Jan Velterop schrieb:
  > 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

Jan,

if and when ... that's a pretty lame excuse. Springer should just put
the figures on the table, if necessary including losses in subscription.

Stevan does not "imply a linear relation", but asks for the facts. I am
pretty astonished that Springer's press release is so vague, if you
compare with what Oxford University Press has provided year on year. We
expect more transparency, a press release like this will not convince
any funding agency that there is no double dipping occurring here.

Here is how Springer itself says they are calculating Journal prices:
http://www.springer.com/open+access/open+choice?SGWID=3D0-40359-6-115359-0

"Springer Open Choice is designed to give authors the choice of how to
have their research published in the same Springer journals to which
they usually submit. By definition, this means that Springer journals
will contain a mixture of Springer Open Choice articles, and articles
published under the traditional subscription-based model. Springer plans
to continue to evaluate its journal subscription prices on a yearly
basis, based on a number of factors, including the amount of
subscription-model content being published.

Libraries pay subscriptions for subscription-model content. Once a year
(usually mid-year) the prices for the next year=E2=80=99s subscriptions are
calculated. At that time, Springer will calculate the number of articles
published under the traditional model in the previous 12 months. If that
number is less than the twelve month period before that, then
subscription prices will decrease accordingly. If it has increased, then
prices will increase accordingly. In a nutshell: subscription prices are
tied to the amount of traditionally published, subscription-model
content, with adjustments being reflected in the next year=E2=80=99s
subscription prices.

For those customers with print-only subscriptions, a report detailing
Springer Open Choice adoption by journal can be obtained at the end of
each year from your Sales representative."

We will have to check on this.

Best regards,
Bernd-Christoph Kaemper, Stuttgart University Library

k
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