Capping APCs May Backfire on NIH

"I, like NIH Director Dr. Bhattacharya, do not support using exorbitant APCs to make scholarship publicly accessible. I believe the most appropriate open access models for scholarly publications are through green and diamond open access routes and via the Federal Purpose License for federally funded research. Researchers should deposit their works in an agency-designated public access repository (such as PubMed Central) or pre-print archive (such as bioRxiv) for free, funders should support institutional publications and these archives, and the US federal government should assert its Federal Purpose License using terms and conditions in its award contracts, especially under 2 CFR 200.315. Those are the most equitable routes for making research openly and freely available without delay, especially taxpayer supported research.

However, despite my advocacy for more equitable models of open access than paying to publish via APCs, I actually have concerns that the NIH APC cap will backfire. Here are a few ways this policy could backfire..."