Business Models and Market Structure within the Scholarly Communications Sector - International Science Council

The scholarly publishing sector is undergoing a period of profound change, driven by technological change, a huge demand for publication outlets, and for rapid, open access to the findings of scientific research. This is inspiring new and innovative approaches to scholarly communications, underpinned by the technologies of the digital revolution. At the same time, there is increasing concern about the business models and operating practices of the publishing sector, particularly those adopted by the large multinational publishers that dominate scholarly publishing.

Recognizing this tension, the ISC has initiated a project on the the future of scientific publishing, and commissioned this occasional paper, written by Rupert Gatti. The paper assesses the economic implications of current business models for scientific publishing, evaluating their advantages and disadvantages. It complements and is informed by the ISC draft discussion paper shared with members for review in July 2020.