Letter to the Editor: Open access transition in obstetrics and gynecology journals—The international impact - Matsubara - International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics - Wiley Online Library

A paywalled letter to the editor protesting the journal's new APC-based business model.

"The second concern, and more importantly, regards “inequity” for the non-granted, especially older, doctors. The increase in funded studies post-flipping implies a decrease in non-funded studies. With publication charges of 2630–2990 USD in these open-access journals, authors without funds may find it challenging to submit manuscripts. My personal experience as an OBGYN doctor having retired from university illustrates this point vividly.

I hitherto authored 534 PubMed-indexed papers and served as a university professor from 2002 to 2020. Following retirement from the university and having begun to work as a solo OBGYN doctor in a smaller institute, I continued to actively publish papers: 57 of which were first-authored papers published during 2021–2023 (after retirement). Nevertheless, retirement marked a significant shift from a well-funded professor to a non-funded solo researcher. The decrease in income now prevents me from affording publication fees personally....

Wider readability and high citation are of paramount importance; however, this is the matter after the manuscript has been published. For retired doctors like myself, paying 3000 USD is impossible or extremely challenging, considering limited post-retirement income. I appeal to the medical journal community not to stifle the submission opportunities for non-funded and financially challenged doctors, particularly those in the post-retirement phase. Let us not bury the wealth of experience and dedication possessed by seasoned doctors."