Publishing in transition
Digital structures and new framework conditions for economics
Digitalisation has profoundly changed the academic publishing system in recent decades. For researchers in the economic sciences, this not only results in new technical possibilities, but also more stringent requirements in terms of visibility, reputation building and strategic publication decisions. The transformation is not complete – it continues to develop along disciplinary logics, technical innovations and economic interests.
Discipline-specific communication structures
A clearly structured mode of communication has been established in economics for decades: Publication in peer-reviewed journals with a high journal impact factor is regarded as a key indicator of reputation. Working papers and preprints play a supplementary role in this discipline – they serve the early dissemination and discussion of research results, but only function as formal proof of achievement to a limited extent.
Digital repositories such as RePEc, SSRN or EconStor are firmly anchored in the discipline. They make it possible to make manuscripts accessible in a timely manner and thus generate visibility in early project phases. Access to open data, the traceability of analyses and the rapid publication of preprints are becoming increasingly relevant, particularly in empirical economic research. This opens up new ways for researchers to generate influence without having to rely on lengthy review processes.
Open Access: potential and discipline-specific implementation
Open access is an ambivalent development for business researchers. Although open access allows for a broader dissemination of research results, the discipline-specific benefits depend on the place of publication. Journals with high visibility and established peer review procedures continue to have priority over open access publications with a low impact factor in terms of reputation building. The decision in favour of open access can therefore be strategically motivated – for example, to comply with funding requirements or to make practice-relevant results more widely available.
EconStor, the open access repository of the ZBW – Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, has established itself as a central infrastructure in the German-speaking world and increasingly also internationally. Researchers and institutions can publish working papers, journal articles, conference papers or reports there free of charge. EconStor is integrated into RePEc and thus guarantees the international visibility of the publications posted. EconStor offers a reliable option for long-term availability and citability.
In addition, OLEcon (Open Library Economics) addresses a structural gap in the area of Diamond Open Access. The publication project coordinated by the ZBW helps economics journals to be completely free of charge for authors and readers. OLEcon provides technical infrastructure, advice and hosting and contributes to the professionalisation of academic journals without creating economic barriers. This offers an alternative model to the dominant APC funding, which is particularly relevant for small journals in German-speaking countries.
New business models and institutional management
Digitalisation has led to the establishment of new publishing models in which publication services and visibility are increasingly mediated economically. Researchers in the economic sciences have to position themselves in an environment in which publication fees, licence models and institutional agreements (such as DEAL) have a direct influence on the choice of publication venue.
Diamond Open Access models such as OLEcon show that discipline-orientated alternatives to the profit-oriented publishing logic can also be successfully established. Cross-disciplinary funding by libraries, universities or learned societies offers stable long-term models that function independently of APCs. In economics, institutional support for such formats is key to ensuring long-term visibility and quality.
Quality inspection and traceability
Peer review remains the central procedure for quality assurance. For economics, this applies in particular to theoretical and quantitative studies. However, digital tools open up new options: Open peer review models and the publication of peer reviews can increase transparency. In addition, evidence of shared data sets, replication studies and documented methodological applications are becoming increasingly relevant – for example in the context of open science policies.
Business researchers who adapt to these formats at an early stage can increase both the visibility and scientific connectivity of their work. This increasingly raises the question of the extent to which traditional metrics such as the journal impact factor can be maintained as the sole benchmark or whether alternative indicators – such as downloads, data citations or visibility in repositories such as EconStor – should also be taken into account.
Strategic orientation required
For researchers in the economic sciences, the digitalisation of the publication system is creating new scope for creativity – but also increased complexity. Visibility, reputation gains and connectivity can now be achieved in different ways. A differentiated publication strategy that takes into account both discipline-specific requirements and institutional framework conditions is therefore becoming increasingly relevant.
Socio-technological infrastructures such as EconStor and initiatives such as OLEcon show that open access in the field of economics is not only technically possible, but also structurally viable. By actively utilising such offerings, researchers can not only contribute to the transformation of the publication system, but also help to shape it.
LISTENING TIP:
In episode 33 of the podcast “The Future is Open Science”, Marcel Wrzesinski, editor of the handouts “Wissenschaftsgeleitetes Publizieren. Sechs Handreichungen mit Praxistipps und Perspektiven”, explains what Diamond Open Access is all about and how it actually works. URL: https://podcast.zbw.eu/fos/2023/09/20/fos-33-erfolgreiches-scholar-led-publizieren/ (german). Dr Juliane Finger, Manager of OLEcon, explains exactly how OLEcon works in episode 13 of the same podcast. URL: https://podcast.zbw.eu/fos/2021/10/19/fos-13-neue-modelle-fuer-den-publikationsmarkt/ (german)
*This article was written on 9 April2025.
This text was translated on 10 April 2025 using DeeplPro.