Scientists have paid large publishers over $1 billion in the past four years to have their studies published with open access. In the traditional scientific publishing system, readers paid to access studies, but now authors themselves pay for their research to be published in digital journals with open access. The scientific community, using mainly public funds, has paid the five large publishers: Springer Nature, Elsevier, Wiley, Taylor & Francis, and Sage. The fees for open access studies, officially called 'article processing charges,' average over $2,500 per study. The profit margins of these publishers reach between 30% and 40%, which is higher than most industries. The current system has led to a proliferation of insubstantial studies and is depleting research budgets worldwide. The five large publishers have tripled their number of open access studies since 2018 and have increased their prices. Other publishers, such as MDPI, have also entered the scene. There are alternatives to the current system, such as publishing in repositories like Arxiv, which is free for authors. However, publishers argue that their high rates are justified by the costs associated with publishing primary research articles. Some researchers are advocating for a shift away from the current system and propose alternative models, such as publishing in institutional repositories. The Spanish university quality watchdog has proposed modifying the evaluation criteria for researchers to reduce the emphasis on the number of studies published.
In related news, Finland is launching a new national e-library on April 29, which will provide digital content to residents across the country. The e-library, operated by the National Library of Finland, will offer audiobooks, e-books, and magazines. Over 200 municipalities have joined the initiative, and the service will be accessible to 85 percent of people in Finland. Users will not need a library card to access the service; instead, they will use their bank codes to log in. The goal of the e-library is to ensure that all residents in Finland have access to the same library services, regardless of their location. The e-library will offer materials in Finnish, Swedish, and English, as well as some content in other languages. However, the library will have a limited number of licenses for titles, so users may have to wait for certain e-books or audiobooks to become available. The service aims to find a profitable model for both libraries and publishers, as well as authors [cb5fa8ad].