Science-led Open Access
Returning control to research
Open Library Economics (OLEcon) is an initiative of the ZBW – Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, which is committed to science-led Open Access for journals in the field of economics. OLEcon promotes non-commercial Diamond Open Access, where neither authors nor readers have to pay fees.
OLEcon aims to put academic journals back into the hands of the scientific community and supports so-called scholar-led or science-led open access models. This means that the rights to journal titles and the decision-making authority over all editorial and administrative matters lie with the editors. In cases where rights to journal titles are held by commercial publishers, OLEcon offers support in negotiations to regain these title rights.
The initiative fulfils two key demands of current science policy: (1) The strengthening of non-commercial infrastructures. (2) Open access without fees for authors and readers.
OLEKonsort: Funding and partnerships for sustainable open access models
OLEcon relies on a consortial model organised by the ZBW to secure funding for the journals. Libraries and other institutions can contribute financially to ensure the long-term operation of OLEcon journals
On the one hand, the consortium enables flexible participation, i.e. institutions can join or leave the consortium on an annual basis. On the other hand, the model provides a stable basis for the free provision of research content.
Successful conversion of renowned journals to Diamond Open Access
A key milestone in 2024 was the successful inclusion of the economics journals “German Economic Review” (GER) and “Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik” (PWP) of the Verein für Socialpolitik in OLEcon. From 2025, articles in these journals will be open access without author fees and freely accessible to readers worldwide.
This conversion was made possible by the ZBW – Leibniz Information Centre for Economics and its Open Library Economics (OLEcon) initiative and the close cooperation with the German Economic Association (Verein für Socialpolitik).
The “German Economic Review” enjoys an international reputation as a specialist journal for economic research. The “Perspectives on Economic Policy” builds a bridge between science and practice. Open Access makes it possible for the research presented in both journals to be accessible to a broad audience, which strengthens the dialogue both within the academic community and with practitioners.
Open Access and the transfer of knowledge: prospects for the future
Hartmut Egger, lead editor of the German Economic Review, emphasised in particular the advantage of the increased reach: “By switching the German Economic Review to open access, we are offering all researchers worldwide free access to our journals. This will increase the visibility of our research findings in the field of economics. This benefits not only the readers, but also the interested specialised public and the entire research landscape.”
Achim Wambach, lead editor of “Perspectives on Economic Policy”, emphasised the importance of open access for knowledge transfer: “The switch to open access is a significant milestone for Perspectives on Economic Policy. The latest scientific findings for economic policy are now freely accessible to all readers. This makes the journal fit for the future and improves the transfer of knowledge.”
The journals “German Economic Review” and “Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik” will continue to be published by DeGruyter as a service provider for the publication. DeGruyter organises co-financing of the journals’ production costs via the subscribe-to-open model.
VfS Chairman Professor Klaus Schmidt adds: “The Verein für Socialpolitik actively supports the movement for Open Access and Open Science with its two journals. In future, everyone will be able to access the articles in Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik and the German Economic Review without a subscription, library access or paywall. This makes the journals much more attractive not only for readers, but also for authors. We look forward to many good articles and greater visibility for economic research.”
New partnerships strengthen the financing base
The “OLEKonsort” project, part of Open Library Economics (OLEcon) and funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), saw a significant expansion in 2024. The aim is the sustainable financing of Diamond Open Access journals through the joint participation of libraries and other academic institutions.
In 2024, 14 new libraries from Germany, Austria and Switzerland joined the consortium, significantly increasing the number of contributors. The full list of co-funders for 2025 is available on olecon.zbw.eu.
Events and education: OLEcon at BiblioCon 2024
To expand OLEKonsort, targeted measures were implemented in 2024 aimed at involving new partners and thereby strengthening the consortium’s financial base. The strategy focussed on comprehensive information and awareness-raising work.
A central component of the educational and acquisition activities surrounding OLEKonsort was the organisation of workshops and information campaigns under the direction of Dr Juliane Finger, OLEcon Manager. These measures were aimed at providing potential partner libraries with comprehensive information about how the consortium works and its benefits and motivating them to participate. In particular, the OLEKonsort model was presented as a sustainable solution for financing Diamond Open Access journals.
Among other things, OLEcon took part in BiblioCon 2024, the largest specialist conference for librarians and information scientists in the German-speaking world with over 4,000 participants from 30 different countries. The combination of presentations and an information stand provided an ideal platform to present the concepts of Diamond Open Access and OLEKonsort.
The consortium was also presented at six online information events, which clarified specific questions from the target groups and addressed the individual needs of libraries and academic institutions.
The project team also maintained personal contact with decision-makers in order to answer open questions and facilitate participation. This combined strategy of information and personalised contact contributed significantly to the integration of new partners and thus to the strengthening of the consortium.
The successful integration of new OLE consortia is an important interim goal of the BMBF project in order to strengthen the long-term stability of the consortium and its supported journals, even without additional project funding. A stable funding consortium makes it possible to make scientific publications in economics transparent and accessible in the long term.
From 2025, the ZBW’s efforts in the context of OLECon will be incorporated into the DFG-funded national service centre for Diamond Open Access in Germany – SeDOA for short. Together with 15 other partners, the ZBW is playing a key role in the development of SeDOA and is responsible in particular for the development of interdisciplinary community support services. Based on an initial needs assessment, these community support services will include counselling services, workshops and a knowledge base. Legal opinions on key issues will also be obtained. As a Diamond Capacity Centre, SeDOA will be part of a European network and strengthen international cooperation.
Listening tip (in german):
Das OLEcon-Konsortium
In episode 39 of the ZBW podcast “The Future is Open Science”, open access expert Dr Juliane Finger introduces the OLEcon consortium in a short 20 minutes. She explains how such new collaborations are revolutionising access to research results and what role they play in promoting fairness and justice in the scientific community.
*This text was written on 17 April 2025.
This text was translated on 12 May 2025 using DeeplPro.