OpenEdition, a platform for scientific literature in the humanities and social sciences « eBooks

Abstract: Here is an in-depth look at OpenEdition, an electronic platform for scientific literature (mainly journals) in the humanities and social sciences, launched in early 2011 as a new step for a 12-year project. OpenEdition, a publicly-funded project, is not a 100% open-access platform, despite its name, but an effort towards open access, with 28% of the collection in free access without any restrictions, 25% of the collection with a free HTML version and fee-based access to other formats, and 47% of the collection with an embargo period from one to three years and older literature available for free. With a Freemium service for libraries and a hybrid free/fee-based service for journals, the French project tries to build a “new open-access economic model” with different access policies depending on journals’ requirements. The project started with the creation of Revues.org in 1999 (now part of OpenEdition) as a free electronic platform for scientific journals. Two websites were added then: Calenda, a free social science agenda launched in 2000, and Hypotheses.org, a free platform for scientific blogs launched in 2008. The whole project has deeply improved the electronic publishing and dissemination of scientific journals, first by offering a pioneer platform, second by offering high-end tools to the scientific community, and third by experimenting new models. After being in free access for several years, the platform began diversifying its access policies, first by including journals under embargo in 2008, second by partnering with the commercial platform Cairn in 2009 to offer toll-access subscriptions to some journals, and third by launching the Freemium programme for libraries in 2011, for libraries’ patrons to access downloadable articles of free-access journals, and recent articles of toll-access journals. In 2012, new projects include the development of a book collection, and the inclusion of journals and blogs in other languages than French.