Most of reputable journals request expensive publication fee. However, most of the researchers from developing countries are lacking support for publication fee. So why most journals(there are some that support developing countries researchers) request expensive publication fee?
Yosef - in different forms, this question has been asked many times on Research Gate. The simple answer is that, for honest and reputable journals, they are a 'business' at the end of the day. Even for 'not-for-profit' publishers, they still have to charge fees (either through subscription or publications fees) to sustain the business and invest in developing it. Some try to focus more on advertising to generate revenue - but that is a 'catch 22' situation. If the journal is not a high visibility journal, then it is harder to attract long-term advertisers and investors. Many journals offer a reduced fee (for subscription and processing fees) for developing counties - which is commendable and probably about as far as they can go to assist.
Yosef - This argument has struck my mind many times why authors have to pay for publications. This is a parodx that authors have to pay for publications. Infact, it should have been reverse i. e. Publishers paying for authors. The authors work hard and seek guidance before finalizing and submitting the research to publishing houses. The authors pay and publishing houses make business.
I think it is a systemic problem that journals and other publishing houses publish on the basis of 'law of supply and demand'. In some journals, the acceptance rate is very low which compels the authors pay in paid journals. Also, there is institutional compulsion to publish either to succeed or perish.
Apart frlm disadvantaging researchers in developing countries, young researchers who are pssionate about research also have a hard time publishing in such journals.
So far my concern why we should pay for publication .? Any novel work should
be published at free of cost . It is not only Researchers prestige but the concerned journal will be also becoming towards better indexing / greater impact
factor .
Dear Dr. Yosef Tadesse,
In addition to your question, I note that this applies primarily to the journals that are members of the Scopus organization. However, it is the publications in these journals that are the criterion in evaluating the activities of the scientist and the institute as a whole. Thus: if you want to receive wages (an individual scientist) or financing (an institution as a whole), pay. From the point of view of poor scientists and research organizations, it looks like a legalized racketeering. However, from the point of view of the editors of such journals, this is just an annoying necessity. After all, only receipts from a few subscribers can not provide remuneration of employees of the editorial staff, members of the editorial board and reviewers, and especially the printing process. It is precisely this situation that gives rise to many so-called “predatory” journals, which, of course, skip significantly more weak works than Scopus magazines, but at the same time take for publication several times less money and thus enable poor scientists to publish their results.
I think this depends on the author itself. There are two types of journals, one is free (Q1) and the second is expensive (Q3 and Q4). So, based on the research quality, author can choose which one suitable to his /her paper.
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