Dear all,
these are indeed huge increases (https://www.mdpi.com/about/apc-2019-2), though many have a 0 increase. Generally speaking this type of increases is part of the model many publishers use when introducing new OA journals: start with a very low introductory APC (or even a zero APC) and raise that substantially over the next few years as the title/brand becomes more well known/accepted. It raises two questions: 1) Is this way of 'buying' market share acceptable, especially when it means there are apparently deep pockets filled with surplus that make this possible. It means smaller and especially non-profit organizations will have a harder time staying afloat. Especially if these smaller organizations use an APC that is substantially higher than the MDPI introductory level of 350 but substantially lower than MDPI's final level of 1000 (or higher). What are the chances of escaping from this effect by arranging diamond funding for journals from non-profit orgs.? 2) Is the final APC-level that MDPI uses (often 1000) acceptable? If one is not in principle against APC funding, what standards are there to judge this? Comparison to (in rich countries) broadly accepted levels of PloS One and Scientific Reports? In doing this we need to acknowledge that the MDPI journals are not "publish-first-judge-later-journals" but apply some selectivity on novelty/relevance. An additional standard would be the type of waivers. At MDPI these do not seem to be automatic ("For authors from Low and Middle income countries, waivers or discounts may be granted on a case-by-case basis"). Jeroen <https://101innovations.wordpress.com/> [101-innovations-icon-very-small.png]<https://101innovations.wordpress.com/> 101 innovations in scholarly communication<https://101innovations.wordpress.com/> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jeroen Bosman, faculty liaison for the Faculty of Geosciences | Utrecht University Library<http://www.uu.nl/library> | email: j.bos...@uu.nl<mailto:j.bos...@uu.nl> |telephone: +31.6.24865967 | mail: Postbus 80124, 3508 TC, Utrecht, The Netherlands |visiting address: room 2.16, Heidelberglaan 3, Utrecht<https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=heidelberglaan%203%20utrecht#map=16/52.0851/5.1776> | Web: Jeroen Bosman<http://www.uu.nl/university/library/en/disciplines/geo/Pages/ContactBosman.aspx> | twitter @jeroenbosman<https://twitter.com/jeroenbosman> / @geolibrarianUBU<https://twitter.com/geolibrarianUBU> | profiles: : Academia<http://uu.academia.edu/JeroenBosman> / Google Scholar<http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=-IfPy3IAAAAJ&hl=en> / ISNI<http://www.isni.org/0000000028810209> / Mendeley<http://www.mendeley.com/profiles/jeroen-bosman/> / MicrosoftAcademic<http://academic.research.microsoft.com/Author/51538592/jeroen-bosman> / ORCID<http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5796-2727> / ResearcherID<http://www.researcherid.com/ProfileView.action?queryString=KG0UuZjN5WmCiHc%252FMC4oLVEKrQQu%252BpzQ8%252F9yrRrmi8Y%253D&Init=Yes&SrcApp=CR&returnCode=ROUTER.Success&SID=N27lOD6EgipnADLnAbK> / ResearchGate<http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jeroen_Bosman/> / Scopus<http://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.url?authorId=7003519484> / Figshare<https://figshare.com/authors/Jeroen_Bosman/682654> / VIAF<http://viaf.org/viaf/36099266/> / Worldcat<http://www.worldcat.org/wcidentities/lccn-n91-100619> | blogging at: I&M 2.0<http://im2punt0.wordpress.com/> (with others) | member of the Open Science Community Utrecht OSCU)<https://openscience-utrecht.com/portfolio/jeroen-bosman/> ________________________________ From: goal-boun...@eprints.org <goal-boun...@eprints.org> on behalf of Heather Morrison <heather.morri...@uottawa.ca> Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2019 10:40:03 PM To: Global Open Access List (Successor of AmSci) Subject: [GOAL] MDPI: price increases, some hefty, more to come in July In brief: MDPI has increased prices, in many cases quite substantially (some prices have more than tripled). Even more price increases are anticipated in July 2019, which will have the effect of doubling the average APC and tripling the most common APC. Unlike other publishers’ practices, there are no price decreases. Comment and recommendation: open access advocates, along with policy makers and research funders, and keen to support a transition to open access. In my opinion, the enthusiasm of payers to support APC journals is causing an unhealthy and unsustainable distortion in the market. My advice: stick with green OA policy. Require deposit of funded works in an open access repository. This is a better means to ensure ongoing preservation and open access, and exerts market pressure in a way that is more suited to the development of an economically sustainable open access system. For details and data, see: https://sustainingknowledgecommons.org/2019/02/13/mdpi-2019-price-increases-some-hefty-and-more-coming-in-july/ MDPI 2019: price increases, some hefty, and more coming in July<https://sustainingknowledgecommons.org/2019/02/13/mdpi-2019-price-increases-some-hefty-and-more-coming-in-july/> sustainingknowledgecommons.org In brief: MDPI has increased prices, in many cases quite substantially (some prices have more than tripled). Even more price increases are anticipated in July 2019, which will have the effect of do… Heather Morrison Associate Professor, School of Information Studies, University of Ottawa Professeur Agrégé, École des Sciences de l'Information, Université d'Ottawa heather.morri...@uottawa.ca https://uniweb.uottawa.ca/?lang=en#/members/706
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