Opinion: The Steep Price of Free Science Access

"Instead, publishers have largely moved their journals to the gold OA model, where the revenue that traditionally came from subscriptions is offset by article processing charges, or APCs, paid by authors, whose research is then immediately and freely available to read. Some APCs are reasonable, as in the nonprofit space. Others run upwards of $11,000 per article.

There are consequences to this move. Given the pressure researchers are under to continually publish papers in prestigious journals, these fees can quickly add up and divert funds away from research itself. A recent survey of more than 3,000 physicists conducted by APS and fellow physical societies AIP, IOP, and Optica revealed widespread support for OA, but respondents consistently reported APCs as a barrier to publishing in non-subscription journals. Early career researchers in particular said they struggle to secure funds for publication charges...."