While Open Access can provide solutions to some issues in scholarly publishing, there is no universal solution that is best for every journal and publisher. Two prominent journals, which transferred to Open Access (OA) in very different ways, can help illustrate how it can be implemented differently depending on the needs of the journal, publisher, authors, and readers.
First, Editor-in-Chief Johan Rooryck describes how he worked with others to create the OA journal Glossa in response to their dissatisfaction with the publisher’s handling of their work with the pay-walled journal Lingua. Rooryck worked with three other linguistics journals and they created the Linguistics in Open Access (LingOA) foundation, and secured funding and long-term support from the Association of Dutch Universities (VSNU) and the Dutch Research Council (NWO). Even after all this work, Rooryck states that social media and news stories were critical to bringing authors, peer reviewers, and readers to the new journal and ensuring its success.
Platelet, a journal focused on platelet and megakaryocyte research, has also recently moved to an Open Access model, although it has not left its publisher. Instead of requiring a paid individual or institutional subscription for readers to access their publication, the journal will cover their costs by charging authors or their institutions an Article Processing Fee (APC). The editors state that institutions were already paying costs via subscriptions (which they will no longer have to pay) for access, and opening their potential readership to anyone. They also encourage authors for whom the APC is a burden to contact them about a waiver or reduction of the fee.
Our own ISU ReD currently hosts four Open Access journals: International Journal for Business Education, Journal of STEM Teacher Education, Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics, and Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders. If you would like to discuss Open Access for your own scholarly and creative works or have questions about any scholarly communications or related topics we hope you will contact Milner Library’s Scholarly Communication Team at isured@ilstu.edu.
