[IRTalk] Journal APC Comparison 2010 and 2016

Ina Smith Ina at assaf.org.za
Wed Mar 22 09:34:08 SAST 2017


Dear Colleagues

We often receive inquiries about Article Processing Charges (APCs), and the average charged (if any), by Open Access Journals. In some countries it is seen as questionable practice to charge fees to publish articles, while on the other hand it might be needed to guarantee financial sustainability of the journal.

The following a comparison of APCs charged in 2010, with APCs charged in 2016:

APC Comparison 2010 and 2016<https://sustainingknowledgecommons.org/2017/03/21/apc-comparison-2010-and-2016/>
https://sustainingknowledgecommons.org/category/open-access-article-processing-charges/

Abstract: Most fully open access journals do not have publication charges. This study focuses on an update of a sample of 844 APC charging journals listed in DOAJ that were studied by Solomon and Björk in 2010. 98% of these journals are still active and 96% are confirmed as still having publication charges. Pricing trends are diverse, with most journals showing little to no changes in price over 6 years with outliers showing a wide range from a price decrease of $1,343 USD to a price increase of $1,844 USD. "Publisher" is a significant factor in trends at the p < .001 level, i.e. some publishers are raising prices on average (13 publishers have increased prices in the past 6 years by 100% - 300% on average), others decreasing on average (19 publishers with lower prices in 2016 than 2010 on average). Limitations of the study: the original dataset was based on a sample of DOAJ journals charging APCs, and there is likely some conflation of pricing trends and currency fluctuations. This dataset supports an hypothesis of ongoing volatility in the APC market as we originally noted in our 2014 survey (Morrison et al, 2015).

Kind regards
Ina


Ina Smith
Planning Manager, Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)
DOAJ Ambassador, Southern Africa Region
LIASA Librarian of the Year 2016

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