It seems that each week I get invited to submit a manuscript to some open access journal. Then comes the reality, and it is a massive publishing fee. Some journal have the open access as an "option", and it still is possible to submit a manuscript to this journal for a print version paper. So far there is no fee, but if your manuscript includes color figures or maps, then it often means an additional $500-$750 fee per color image. Where should I get the money to pay for such fees? Grants? Should I ask my university to help out?
Most researchers using open access do indeed pay the fee from university-level funds or from project grants.
Many grant programs want research to be accessible and therefore allow funds to be used for publishing fees.
Publication fees are an alternative for subscription fees. Hence, many university libraries operate funds to help researchers from their university publish open access. Your library should also be able to help distinguish bonefide open access publishers from predatory ones.
Most researchers using open access do indeed pay the fee from university-level funds or from project grants.
Many grant programs want research to be accessible and therefore allow funds to be used for publishing fees.
Publication fees are an alternative for subscription fees. Hence, many university libraries operate funds to help researchers from their university publish open access. Your library should also be able to help distinguish bonefide open access publishers from predatory ones.
Dear Prof. Amin,
As almost everything, the open access system has advantages and disadvantages. As you correctly stated, not all research projects are funded with grants, especially in many developing countries. In one of the several perspectives of the issue, this system can be seen as a "funnel": everyone has access to the work of a smaller group of researchers that can afford paying open access fees". An alternative solution is the waive-fees option that some open access journals consider to offer to some accepted papers, or as you mentioned, that open access is optional and not mandatory for some other journals.
Certainly, this is an interesting and polemic philosophical topic :-)
Kind regards,
Claudia
Hello Claudia,
It seems to me that some disciplines are more inclined to choose open access journals, such as medicine or some related disciplines where fast dissemination is very important and where access to grant funds appears to be more available than what we find in some traditional non-medical journals.
Yes, those are also other important elements to consider.
When hard copy journals offer "Open Access" publishing as an option, it can be extremely costly.
Open access journals are usually fast in terms of providing several reviews, and also in moving from acceptance to publication online.
APCs encourage readers to download papers without having to pay.
Many Open Access journals offer discounts on APCs according to income levels that are defined by the World Bank.
Some times is a good idea. Therefore, the paper is open free of charge for other researchers
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