Trends in Open Access Publishing in Hybrid Journals

Hybrid journals are a type of academic journal that make some Articles freely available to the public (Open Access) while others remain behind a paywall. This model has been around for over twenty years and is intended to help move away from traditional subscription-based publishing towards a system where all research is accessible to everyone. However, the transition has been slow, leading to ongoing debates about the effectiveness of this model.

Transformative Agreements are contracts between academic institutions and Publishers aimed at changing the publishing landscape by supporting open access publishing. These agreements combine traditional subscription payments with fees for publishing open access articles, helping to make more research available to the public without charging authors directly.

#The Current State of Open Access in Hybrid Journals

A large-scale study analyzed more than 700 transformative agreements and nine million articles published in over 11,000 hybrid journals to see how much open access has increased between 2018 and 2022. The results suggest that between 2018 and 2022, open access in hybrid journals grew from 4.3% to 15%. Importantly, by 2022, 58% of the open access articles in these journals were made available through transformative agreements.

The push for more open access has largely been driven by three major publishers: Elsevier, Springer Nature, and Wiley. However, the growth of open access has not been uniform across all journals or disciplines; it varies widely depending on the publisher and the specific area of study.

#The Rise of Transformative Agreements

In recent years, many countries have introduced funding systems to support the publication of open access articles. This shift has led to a significant increase in the number of open access articles published in hybrid journals. For instance, between 2014 and 2017, hybrid open access articles increased to a median of 7.1% in various universities.

Despite these increases, concerns have been raised about the overall cost of publishing. With the introduction of transformative agreements, libraries find themselves facing higher combined costs of subscriptions and open access publishing fees, which can strain budgets.

#Transformative Agreements and Their Impact

Transformative agreements cover a wide range of contracts that aim to control costs while transitioning to more open access publishing. While they are meant to provide more openness, they can also lead to situations where large publishers benefit disproportionately, which raises concerns about "double dipping," where publishers charge for subscriptions and for open access fees simultaneously.

By the end of 2023, many transformative agreements had been established, but the results have been mixed. Some libraries reported higher volumes of open access publications and improved workflows for managing payments. However, the reliance on large commercial publishers remains a concern, as it can reinforce existing inequalities in academic publishing practices.

#Variability in Open Access Uptake

The study found that the growth of open access varies significantly among hybrid journals. For example, certain subjects like Social Sciences and Humanities saw higher rates of open access than fields like Life Sciences and Physical Sciences.

In terms of geographical differences, high-income countries, especially in the OECD, dominated the open access publishing scene. These countries published the majority of open access articles in hybrid journals, while countries in the BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) showed much lower levels of open access, despite increased publication output.

#Examining the Role of Country and Publisher

When looking closely at the impact of country and publisher, it was found that the three main publishers (Elsevier, Springer Nature, and Wiley) published a significant amount of the open access content. However, the growth rates varied. For instance, Wiley saw a dramatic increase in its open access share from 2018 to 2022, while Elsevier's growth was more modest.

Different countries exhibited varied publishing behaviors. For example, in Nordic countries such as Sweden and the Netherlands, open access rates were particularly high due to favorable agreements, while Germany's transition toward open access only gained momentum after new agreements were negotiated.

#The Need for Further Research

Given the limitations of existing studies, more detailed research is needed to understand the transition to open access in hybrid journals fully. This involves considering different countries, fields of study, and the financial implications of transformative agreements. Furthermore, understanding how these trends impact authors and researchers is crucial for assessing their effectiveness.

#Conclusion

The push for open access in hybrid journals through transformative agreements shows promising growth, yet significant challenges persist. Large publishers dominate the market, and the benefits of open access are not distributed equally across disciplines or countries. As the academic publishing landscape continues to evolve, effective strategies will be needed to ensure that all researchers can access and share knowledge freely.