Subscribe to Open: A practical approach for converting subscription journals to open access - Crow - 2020 - Learned Publishing - Wiley Online Library

Abstract:  Key points

• OA business models must be sustainable over the long term, and article processing charge payments do not work for all; Subscribe to Open (S2O) is proposed, and being tested, as an alternative model.
• The S2O model motivates subscribers to participate through economic self‐interest, without reliance on institutional altruism or collective behaviour.
• The S2O offer targets current subscribers, uses existing subscription systems, and recurs annually, allowing publishers to control risk and revert to conventional subscriptions if necessary.
• An Annual Reviews pilot is currently testing the S2O model with five journals.