Open Access in economic research: hurdles and paths to transformation
ZBW panel sheds light on the challenges and solutions of the open access transformation
Photo: David Außerhofer
The Open Access movement aims to make scientific research freely accessible. In economic research, however, it faces considerable hurdles. The publication on market is dominated by a few large publishing groups that profit from the unpaid work of researchers and severely restrict competition. New journals find it difficult to establish themselves, as researchers are often guided by the established reputation of journals. In addition, high publication fees favour the growth of questionable journals (“predatory journals”).
The central question of how control over scientific publications can be placed more firmly back in the hands of researchers was also discussed intensively at the ZBW Panel 2024 at the VfS Annual Conference.
At this year’s annual conference of the Verein für Socialpolitik (VfS), which took place from 15 to 18 September 2024 at the Technical University of Berlin, the ZBW – Leibniz Information Centre for Economics organised a panel on “Open Access Transformation in Economic Research”. The discussion was moderated by Prof Dr Marianne Saam from the ZBW and brought together leading experts from the fields of economic research and open access.
The participants were Prof Dr Klaus Schmidt (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and VfS board member), Prof Dr Hanna Hottenrott (ZEW Mannheim and Technische Universität München), Dr Benedikt Schmal (Technische Universität Ilmenau) and Dr Juliane Finger (ZBW). Together they discussed the current developments, opportunities and challenges of the Open Access movement in economic research.
The ZBW panel centred on questions regarding competition on the publication market and the role of science-led open access journals in economics. The panel participants problematised the fact that it is difficult for new journals to enter the publication market, as the publication activities of economic researchers are strongly influenced by the established reputation of existing journals. In addition, a few large international publishing groups dominate the market, which further restricts competition. The panellists’ statements were particularly critical of the business practices of these publishers. They pointed out that the unpaid utilisation of academic work in the peer review process is increasingly controversial. The ongoing lawsuit by US neuroscientist Lucina Uddin against Elsevier and other major publishers was cited as an example, which is focussing attention on these problematic practices.
Among the false incentives of the publication market, the panellists were particularly critical of the fact that publication fees per article favoured the growth of so-called “predatory journals”. Furthermore, journals of low quality are supported if publishers offer libraries contracts to purchase entire journal bundles and these are included in large numbers.
The discussion also centred on the question of how control over scientific publications can be placed more firmly back in the hands of researchers. It was emphasised that not only reputation building, but also sustainable funding plays a decisive role for science-led publications. Without sufficient funding, many open access journals are at risk of being cancelled. Specialised societies play a decisive role in securing sustainable funding.
Background information – Open Access transformation and business models
The open access movement is changing the academic publishing landscape, including in economic research. Two key influencing factors are shaping this change: the incentive systems in science and the growing influence of large publishing groups such as Elsevier, Springer Nature and Wiley.
Publications in prestigious journals are still crucial for researchers to advance their careers. Reputation is an important driver for publication decisions. These prestigious journals, usually anchored in publishing groups, strongly influence where and how research is published. However, funding organisations are increasingly demanding that research results are made freely accessible.
Publishing groups such as Elsevier and Springer are not only major players in the field of scientific journals and databases, but are increasingly dominating the entire research cycle. In addition to specialised journals, they offer digital services such as research information systems that universities use to manage their research. In this way, these publishing groups have further expanded their influence on science.
One important aspect is the increasing dependence on these providers. Universities and research institutions use the comprehensive digital services of publishers, which leads to strong lock-in effects. This dependency is reinforced by the data that publishers collect on the use of their services. Publishers are increasingly analysing the digital traces of researchers in order to develop new business areas in the field of data analysis. With a market share of over 50 per cent, they control a large part of the scientific publication and data market.
The open access transformation harbours opportunities, such as increasing the visibility of research results. At the same time, the dependence on publishing groups is becoming increasingly clear. Science must find ways to reduce this dependency and at the same time promote the openness of research.
*The text was written on 22 October 2024.
This text was translated on 20 January 2025 using DeeplPro.