Between Underfunding and ‘Moral Superiority’: The Position of Diamond OA Journals
- Niels Taubert, Bielefeld University
In the current discussion about Open Access (OA) in science policy, Diamond OA journals are often hyped as the new saviors: They offer free access to research and come without financial barriers for authors, who might otherwise be excluded. Moreover, they place the responsibility for journals in the hands of those where many observers agree it belongs—the scientific community. This talk takes the science policy debate as its starting point and presents empirical findings from a study of the German Diamond OA landscape. The quantitative analysis will show that the landscape consists mainly of small- to mid-sized journals, with a focus on the social sciences and humanities. Qualitative interviews with editors of Diamond OA journals will shed light on their operating methods. The conclusion is mixed: While some journals have managed to find a sustainable operating model that ensures long-term stability, others remain unstable due to a lack of resources. This position sharply contrasts with expectations regarding their potential for driving the OA transformation.
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As a sociologist of science, Niels Taubert is the head of the bibliometrics working group at Bielefeld University. He is interested in all aspects of openness within science and beyond. With respect to science, he has extensively studied the transformation of the publication system towards Open Access (OA) at the levels of disciplines, institutions, countries, and journals, using mixed-methods approaches that combine quantitative bibliometric analyses with qualitative research. He has published several articles on the digitization of the scientific communication system, OA, and digital infrastructures.
