OAPEN-CH: More visibility for books thanks to open access - SNF

"Scientific books that are freely and digitally accessible have a greater reach. The influence of open access on sales figures is limited. These are just two of the insights obtained in the OAPEN-CH pilot project conducted by the SNSF. Compared to traditional print products, open access monographs have a number of advantages: they enjoy greater visibility, have a wider international reach and are used more frequently. At the same time, statistics show no positive or negative impact on sales figures. The costs of scientific open access publications vary greatly, as a result of differing business models, work processes and budgeting in the industry. These are some of the key insights presented in the final report of the OAPEN-CH pilot project. The SNSF ran the project in collaboration with academic publishers, libraries and authors between 2014 and 2017. The aim was to gain a better understanding of the publication process for scientific open access books. The SNSF analysed how open access impacts on usage, visibility, reach and sales figures as well as how such publications are viewed by authors...."