KEI study
Comparison of various studies on Journal Business models
Over the past few years many studies have been published on the costs and economic benefits of journal business models. Knowledge Exchange has now released a brochure in which the differences in outcomes from these various studies are explained. This briefing paper also looks at the outcomes of the broadly cited RIN study and various national studies performed by John Houghton.
An important difference between the studies is that early studies considered only the costs incurred in publishing traditional journals made available for purchase on a subscription or licensing business model. As the open access business model became available, some studies also covered the cost of making research articles available in open access journals. More recent studies have taken a broader perspective, looking at the position of journal publishers in the market and their business models in the context of the economic benefits from research dissemination.
Dr Wim Liebrand, director of SURF says, “The present debate on Open Access is centred around optimal access, achieving maximum impact at an affordable costs. It is very important to be able to have an objective informed discussion on the real costs and benefits of various journal business models. This concise brochure contributes to this discussion by offering an overview of the various studies on journal business models.”
The brochure is available for download at: