Mastodawn

Update. Here's an unrefereed letter to the editor protesting -- with justice -- that "top-ranked scientific publications [could] become the preserve of 'rich' groups." But it relies on the false assumption that all #OpenAccess journals charge #APCs. Hence, it doesn't even mention #DiamondOA solutions to this problem.
https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mbio.03659-25

Peter Suber Mar 8

Here's another article that made it through peer review (at #Elsevier) with the false claim that all #OpenAccess journals charge #APCs. www.journalofsurgicalresearch.com/article/S002... #ScholComm

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petersuber Mar 8

Update. Here's another article that made it through peer review (at #Elsevier) with the false claim that all #OpenAccess journals charge #APCs.
https://www.journalofsurgicalresearch.com/article/S0022-4804(26)00045-4/abstract

I only have access to the abstract, not the full text. If I learn that the article acknowledges that no-APC OA (#DiamondOA) journals exist, and even outnumber APC-based OA journals, then I'll correct this post. But I'll still criticize the authors and editors for publishing a false claim in the abstract, namely, "Open access (OA) publishing…requires article processing charges (APCs)."

petersuber Feb 14

Today is the 24th birthday of the Budapest Open Access Initiative.
https://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read/

Best known for catalyzing the #OpenAccess movement in 2002, the BOAI has been continuously active and formed a nonprofit organization just last year.
https://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/news/boai-transitioning-to-organization-to-support-the-development-of-equitable-open-access/

See the org's progress report on its first year.
https://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/news/boai-celebrates-anniversary-and-reflects-on-progress-of-first-year-as-an-organization/

The latest version of the BOAI recommendations is its 20th anniversary statement.
https://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/boai20/

In contrast to the earlier BOAI statements, which made many recommendations, the 20th anniversary statement deliberately focuses on a small number of top priorities:

1. Adopting #OpenInfrastructure
2. Reforming #ResearchAssessment
3. Moving away from #APCs
4. Moving away from #ReadAndPublish agreements.

I'm proud of my contributions to #BOAI (2002), #BOAI10 (2012), and #BOAI20 (2022), and honored to serve on the org steering committee.

Happy #ValentinesDay to all who work for #OpenAccess worldwide.

Read the Declaration – Budapest Open Access Initiative

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petersuber Jan 14

Update. Here's another piece critical of #APCs (so far, so good), and reviewing other people's criticisms of APCs (even better). Yet it makes the wholly false assertion that all #OpenAccess journals charge APCs. ("In open access, instead of readers having to pay, the paper’s authors cover the expenses of publication.") It says this even though it also summarizes a position explicitly referring to #DiamondOA journals. It never mentions that most OA journals do not charge APCs.
https://undark.org/2026/01/07/apc-science-publishing/

In Scientific Publishing, Who Should Foot the Bill?

Publishers often charge authors to publish their publicly-funded research. Will a federal crackdown make a difference?

Undark Magazine

petersuber Jan 11

_Environmental Health Perspectives_ was a #DiamondOA journal formerly published by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (#NIEHS, within the #NIH). When #Trump slashed the NIH and NIEHS budgets, the journal began the process of laying itself down. But now the American Chemical Society (#ACS) will adopt it. Under the ACS, it will remain #OpenAccess but start charging #APCs.

See the ACS announcement.
https://www.newswise.com/articles/environmental-health-perspectives-joins-the-acs-publications-portfolio

See the coverage in Chemistry World.
https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/leading-environmental-health-journal-defunded-by-trump-administration-has-been-saved/4022745.article

#Chemistry #Funding #USPol #USPolitics

Environmental Health Perspectives joins the ACS Publications portfolio | Newswise

The Publications Division of the American Chemical Society (ACS) is proud to announce that Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) has joined the ACS Publications portfolio. EHP is a globally respected journal with a legacy as a premier source for research

Newswise

Peter Suber Dec 29

Here's another article that made it through peer review (at #WoltersKluwer) falsely asserting that all #OpenAccess journals charge #APCs. dx.doi.org/10.1097/SAP.... (#paywalled) The article never mentions no-fee OA journals ( #DiamondOA ) or no-fee OA repositories ( #GreenOA ). #ScholComm

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petersuber Dec 29

Update. Here's another article that made it through peer review (at #WoltersKluwer) falsely asserting that all #OpenAccess journals charge #APCs.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/SAP.0000000000004612
(#paywalled)

General thesis: Paying APCs is a hardship (true) and the prices are going up (true). Therefore, to help medical students publish OA, medical schools should fund their APCs.

The article never mentions no-fee OA journals (#DiamondOA) or no-fee OA repositories (#GreenOA).

#ScholComm

Jörg Honegger

🇺🇦Dec 24

From ⁨⁨⁨⁨⁨#AnnafromUkraine⁩⁩⁩⁩⁩ @[email protected]

#KREMLIN IN PANIC: RUSSIAN MILITARY CONVOYS AND STRATEGIC PLANTS ON FIRE Vlog 1267: War in #Ukraine

Defense Forces destroyed a russian mechanized column of 6 #tanks, 9 #IFVs, 5 #APCs, and 1 armored #recovery #vehicle. In the city of #Budyonnovsk, #Stavropol Krai, #Russia, a chemical #plant, #Stavrolen, is reportedly on fire, denotation continued very long.

#russoUkrainianWar

https://youtu.be/kahnDgbODIM

petersuber Dec 17

"Research Groups Oppose Capping #NIH Funding of Publisher Fees."
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/science-research-policy/2025/12/16/research-groups-oppose-capping-nih-funding

PS: These universities seem to be saying: "We accept the growth of the APC model. We just need help paying APCs." They don't take any responsibility for steering authors toward high-prestige, high-JIF, high-APC journals, and don't acknowledge their ability to change those incentives while upholding their historic standards of quality. They could say instead, "We will revise our research assessment (promotion and tenure) procedures to focus on the quality of research more than where it is published." Insofar as universities succeed at shifting those incentives -- admittedly a long game -- authors could submit work to no-fee or diamond OA journals, bypass APC-based journals, and face no blowback from their P&T committees. All researchers and research institutions would win, including those institutions that now want govt help in paying APCs.

#Academia #AcademicMastodon #APCs #Assessment #DiamondOA #OAintheUSA #OpenAccess #ScholComm #Universities

Research Groups Oppose Capping NIH Funding of Publisher Fees

The National Institutes of Health received roughly 900 comments on its various proposals to limit how much of its grant dollars are eaten up by journals’ publication charges. Major science groups called the approaches wrong.

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