Estimating Global Article Processing Charges Paid to Six Publishers for Open Access 2019-2023

• August 1, 2024

A recent study has provided comprehensive estimates of global spending on article processing charges (APCs) for open access (OA) publishing, focusing on six major publishers from 2019 to 2023. APCs are fees charged for publishing articles in fully open access journals (gold) and in subscription journals that make individual articles open access (hybrid). The study highlights the lack of transparency in APC prices and payments, which has made it difficult to track institutional, national, or global expenditures on OA publishing.

Using an open dataset of annual APC list prices from Elsevier, Frontiers, MDPI, PLOS, Springer Nature, and Wiley, combined with the number of open access articles indexed by OpenAlex, the researchers estimate that a total of $8.349 billion (or $8.968 billion in 2023 US dollars) was spent on APCs over the five-year period. Notably, in 2023 alone, MDPI, Elsevier, and Springer Nature were the top earners, generating $681.6 million, $582.8 million, and $546.6 million respectively from APCs. The study also reveals that annual APC spending nearly tripled from $910.3 million in 2019 to $2.538 billion in 2023, with hybrid APCs exceeding gold fees, and median APCs paid being higher than the listed fees for both gold and hybrid journals.

Introduction: The Evolving Landscape of Open Access Publishing

Over the past two decades, the open access (OA) movement has introduced various publishing models, adding complexity to the scholarly publishing landscape. A prominent model is the author-pays model, where publishers charge authors APCs to make their articles OA. This model has grown significantly, supported by funder and institutional policies, and through agreements such as read-and-publish and transformative agreements.

The author-pays model has become a major revenue source for publishers, either supplementing the subscription model or serving as the sole income stream. While major publishers like Elsevier, Sage, Springer Nature, Taylor & Francis, and Wiley use APCs to enhance revenue, others like Frontiers and MDPI rely entirely on them. Despite being profitable for publishers, APCs pose financial challenges for researchers, acting as a barrier to OA publishing.

Amid these dynamics, the diamond OA model has gained favor among policymakers and researchers. Unlike the author-pays model, diamond OA does not charge authors or readers, promoting inclusivity. However, sustaining diamond OA journals financially remains a challenge.

Need for Reliable Data on APC Expenditures

Accurate data on APC expenditures is crucial for institutions, funders, and consortia to make informed decisions during negotiations with publishers and in policy-making. The current lack of transparency around APC payments hampers the ability to determine global OA publication fees. Although some studies have attempted to estimate APC costs, they face limitations, such as difficulty identifying the payer and whether waivers or discounts were applied.

One notable exception is the OpenAPC initiative in Germany, which provides a unique dataset of APCs paid by universities, funders, and research institutions. However, comprehensive data on a global scale is still lacking.

Methods: Estimating APC Expenditures

This study follows a detailed methodology to estimate APC expenditures. Annual APC data was obtained from a new open dataset, which included list prices from six major publishers for 2019 to 2023. The number of publications per journal per year was sourced from OpenAlex.

Data Compilation and Analysis

The new dataset compiled APC prices for 8,712 unique journals over five years. Currency conversion was standardized to USD, and inflation adjustments were made using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for advanced economies.

APC-Able Articles and OA Status

To estimate APC spend, the number of APC-able articles per journal per year was determined using OpenAlex. The study differentiated between gold and hybrid OA journals, considering only articles with Creative Commons licenses as APC-able for hybrid journals.

Results and Limitations

The study estimates that $8.349 billion was spent globally on APCs from 2019 to 2023, rising to $8.968 billion when adjusted for inflation. The annual APC expenditure nearly tripled over this period, with significant growth in both gold and hybrid OA articles and increasing fees.

However, the study acknowledges several limitations, including the inability to account for all waivers and discounts, and the potential overestimation of fees due to read-and-publish agreements. Despite these limitations, the study provides valuable insights into the APC model’s growth and its financial implications for the global scholarly publishing community.

Discussion: Implications and Future Directions

The findings indicate that the APC model is rapidly growing, driven by an increasing volume of OA articles and rising APC fees. This growth has financial implications for researchers, institutions, and funders, highlighting the need for greater transparency in APC pricing and payments.

The study calls for publishers to disclose more information about OA fees to facilitate better decision-making and promote equitable access to scientific research. Future research should focus on exploring the relationship between APC prices and journal prestige, and addressing the financial sustainability of diamond OA models.

In conclusion, while the APC model continues to evolve and expand, ensuring transparency and equity in OA publishing remains a critical challenge for the academic community.

Butler, Leigh-Ann; Hare, Madelaine; Schönfelder, Nina; Schares, Eric; Alperin, Juan Pablo; Haustein, Stefanie, 2024, “Open dataset of annual Article Processing Charges (APCs) of gold and hybrid journals published by Elsevier, Frontiers, MDPI, PLOS, Springer-Nature and Wiley 2019-2023”, https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/CR1MMV, Harvard Dataverse, V1