Sally Moris (ALPSP) wrote: > I wonder whether publishers of OA journals couldn't all accept, on the same > kind of basis as the HINARI and other similar arrangements for > free/discounted subscriptions, that they would waive fees entirely to > authors in the first band of countries, and discount them (half?) to the > next band. Then all would be consistent
This wouldn't work as the OA journals financial needs will be given precedence always. It would only work if an outside body (unrelated to them) regulated their waivers, and this obviously they will not accept. Your post however suggests to me another way out. Just like BMC which currently has an institutional subscription, the value of which is based on size of institution (or something similar) up to a value of 7000 USD per year (or thereabouts), why dont existing journals classify institutions too, based on maybe a questionnaire delivered to them. After that an institutional toll be set for that institution per year without payment of which, authors from that institution cannot publish in that journal. Non-affiliated authors to institutions in the journals list are free obviously. Access to researchers is then open as all publishing money will come from these graded institutional tolls. I look forward to feedback on this.
