How much is too much? Estimating APCs and questioning sustainability

Abstract

First, the serials crisis strained academic budgets; now it’s article processing charges (APCs). It is time to learn from the past and focus on the data: APCs are neither sustainable nor equitable. Studies consistently show that APCs place a financial burden on scholarly publishing, and a drain on library budgets. The lack of transparency and decentralized payments of APCs further complicate the collection of reliable data for informed decision-making. In this talk, I will examine the APC model and its challenges. I will also share findings from studies estimating APC expenditures and present an open dataset of APCs from six scholarly publishers, which can help libraries, researchers, and policymakers investigate the open access landscape.