PEER Economics Report (November 2011)

"This study considers the effect of large-scale deposit on scholarly research publication and dissemination (sharing of research outputs), beginning with the analysis of publishers and institutions managing repositories and their sustainability. The study associates costs with specific activities, performed by key actors involved in research registration, certification, dissemination and digital management: authors, the scholarly community, editors, publishers, libraries, readers and funding agencies....The emergence of several high reputation OA journals, together with an array of journals started and managed with limited resources is an indication of the success of policies aimed at the opening of the competitive space....In parallel with OA journals, repositories, particularly subject based, emerged as opportunities for authors to increase effectiveness and efficiency of their reputation building by giving their research early visibility and by allowing researchers‟ communities to cooperate....Today, the distinctions between the three models (SB [subscription-based], OA or repositories) are blurred, although it is becoming clear that the success of OA journals and repositories – as is the case for SB journals – depends on the strategies of individual players, and not merely OA status....This study analyses 22 organizations involved with journal article publication and dissemination....[Among the results:] - The average cost of content certification per article published for the publishers considered is around 250 USD; the cost includes only salary costs and external fees paid for organizing and managing peer review....- The average cost of publishing (including metadata) ranges from 170 to over 400 USD per article, and is influenced by make/buy decisions and by journal size....- In order to make content accessible, it has to be managed via a digital platform allowing content management, storage and accessibility. Costs associated with digital platforms vary significantly, depending on whether the platform is proprietary or based on open source (OS) software....- The availability of OS publishing platforms allows for a drastic reduction of certification, publication and platform management costs, thus reducing barriers to the self-organization of groups of researchers to publish journals, and favouring the start up of new journals....- Management of repositories is cost effective from an operational point of view and in line with the mandatory functions of the institutions analysed. The use of OS software and the effort required to participate in collaborative projects allow for limited direct costs....Given these issues, OA and SB journals will have to become more active in seeking multiple revenue streams and in improving services, while repositories will need to make a stronger case to guarantee the flow of funding...."