Re: Calculating the Cost per Article in the Current

[Heather Morrison <heatherm@eln.bc.ca>]

Subscription Model
Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v619)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-edited-by: liblicen@pantheon.yale.edu
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2005 21:48:09 EST
Reply-To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
Sender: owner-liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.2 -- ListProc(tm) by CREN
Precedence: bulk

Phil,

Rather than assuming that libraries would fund an OA production-based 
system on the same basis as they do now, why not calculate what is 
affordable for libraries and fund up to this amount?

What publishers need to charge will not always be the same as the cost  
per article, as there are additional sources of funding available to 
many publishers (revenue from advertising, subscription sales - which 
may well continue in an OA world if there is added value, contributions 
from departmental funds and funding agencies, submission fees, etc.).

If faculty need to publish in more expensive journals than can be 
subsidized through library funding, then perhaps other sources of 
funding can be found.

If societies can afford lower prices because they are more efficient, I 
don't see why they should not be rewarded for this efficiency through 
receiving a higher percentage (not amount) of subsidy per article.

hope this helps,

Heather Morrison

On 10-Jan-05, at 4:06 PM, Phil Davis wrote:

>David Prosser brings up a good point -- that I did not factor in page
>charges and other payments to publishers that do not flow directly from
>the library.  He is also correct in that they are difficult to 
>calculate and account for.  Let's see if I can come about estimating 
>these costs from another direction ....

[SNIP]

> --Phil Davis