Open access ‘economically viable’

29 April 2004

Open access is a practical, efficient and sustainable model to unlock the potential of the web for disseminating the results of publicly funded research, suggests a recently published report commissioned by the Wellcome Trust.

Costs and Business Models in Scientific Research Publishing published this month, follows on from an initial Wellcome Trust study, Economic Analysis of Scientific Research Publishing, published in 2003. This first study concluded that the current system of scientific publishing is failing both the science community and the public at large.

The traditional system obliges researchers to give the copyright to their research papers to publishers who then charge researchers to use that work through subscription fees. ‘Closed access’ is a significant obstacle to the dissemination of scientific and medical information – an essential part of the scientific process. This system gives a small number of publishers almost complete control over the distribution of the research which, in 90 per cent of cases, has public funding. Subscription charges have risen by 200 per cent in ten years: university libraries pay £76 million each year to read the results of publicly funded research.

By contrast, in the open-access model of scientific publishing, peer-reviewed research would be published online in journals that are freely available to everyone, with no copyright restrictions – and no subscription fees. Instead, researchers would pay to submit articles and have them published. Based on the report’s findings, the Wellcome Trust calculates that the total cost of access to research for its own funded scientists under an open-access system would add an additional 1 per cent to the costs of research.

Moreover, the Wellcome Trust's latest report shows that making scientific research available free on the internet could wipe as much as 30 per cent off publishing costs. It suggests that a £1100 payment by the author would allow a workable, high-quality and sustainable publishing model. This compares to an average of £1500 to publish a paper under the traditional system.

Publishers have voiced fears that open access would lead to a decline in the quality of published research. However, open access is rooted in the peer-review process, which is vital in maintaining the highest quality. In the present system, peer review is the only part of the publication process that is conducted at marginal costs, because the scientists who act as peer reviewers give their time at no charge.

The open-access approach has already been shown to work well in the Human Genome Project. Since its publication, many thousands of scientists from around the world have been able to access the information as many times as they need, without having to pay subscription fees. The Wellcome Trust believes that the same principle should apply to all research – and would benefit both researchers and society at large.

Costs and Business Models in Scientific Research Publishing, produced by SQW, has been submitted to the inquiry being conducted into this issue by the Science and Technology Select Committee in the House of Commons.

Open access ‘economically viable’

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