Experiences with an Open Access Journal

Professor Jerry RobertsHead of Biosciences

Editor-in-Chief Journal of Experimental Botany

Journal of Experimental Botany

First published in 1950 Institutional subscriptions ~ >600 Impact Factor in 2007 ~ 3.6 Open Access option since July 2004

(The first plant sciences journal to offer authors the opportunity to publish under OA)

Opportunities for publishing under Open

Access

Journal perspective:

Boosts Impact Factor Attracts the best authors Politically correct

Opportunities for publishing under Open

Access

Author perspective:

Boosts citations Accommodates requirements of funding agency

Politically correct

Threats for publishing under Open Access

Journal perspective:

Reduced number of institutional subscribers

Reduced subscription cost Reduced revenue leading to journal closure

Threats for publishing under Open Access

Author perspective:

Costs of publishing (to author) increased

Learned Societies lose critical revenue stream

Reduced journal outlets for publication

JXB Open Access Experiment

Commenced in 2004: Open Access publication ~

£250 UK authors free ~ funded

through a grant from Joint Information System Committee of the UK (JISC) Approximately 29% Open Access Approximately 29% Open Access

publications 2004-2006publications 2004-2006

Countries of non UK Open Access authors (2004-6)

Argentina Canada GermanyAustralia China GreeceBelgium Czech Repub IndiaBrazil France ItalyJapan* Slovenia TaiwanNetherlands Spain USA*Norway SwedenPortugal Switzerland* >35% of total

Downloads of Open Access vs Non Open Access

papers

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Non OpenAccess

Open Access

1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6 6-7 7-8 8-9

Full text downloads per Abstract downloads

July 04 – Sept 06Full text of Full text of Open Access Open Access papers gets papers gets downloaded downloaded more than more than Non Open Non Open Access Access papers (per papers (per Abstract) Abstract)

Citations of Open Access vs Non Open Access

papers

1 2 3 4 5 6-7 8-9 10-11

Number of citations

July 04 – Sept 06

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Non OpenAccess

Open Access

Average Average citation per citation per paper:paper:

Non Open Non Open Access ~ 1.7Access ~ 1.7

Open Access Open Access ~ 1.9~ 1.9

(12% (12% increase)increase)

JXB 2007 - A sustainable model for Open Access

Launched in April 2007 Corresponding authors whose

institutions have a subscription to the journal can publish Open Access for free

Authors whose institutions do not have a subscription to the journal can publish Open Access for £1500

Some material remains under subscription control (eg. Reviews)

JXB 2007 - A sustainable model for Open Access

Challenges of model Time consuming as institutional addresses

of all corresponding authors have to be checked for subscriptions

Up to 70% of papers may become Open Access and librarians may expect a reduced subscription cost as a consequence

Plan B if Plan A fails????

JXB 2007 - A sustainable model for Open Access

Opportunities presented by the model Identification of non-subscribing

institutions and encouragement to re-engage with authors and librarians

Identification of novel publishable material (teaching aids/large data sets/techniques information etc) to remain under subscription control

Conclusions Open Access is going to become

increasingly important to funding agencies and authors

Journals (publishers) will have to develop a sustainable model to accommodate Open Access

Funding agencies/Institutions will have to provide resources to support Open Access