Springer Launches New Line of OA Journals
By Josh HadroJul 1, 2010
At the tail end of the American Library Association Annual convention in Washington DC academic publisher Springer announced a further expansion into Open Access (OA) journals with a new series titled SpringerOpen. The program will include 12 peer-reviewed journals, with full contents available under a Creative Commons Attribution license. The first of these e-only articles are slated to appear in early 2011.
With data collected from previous OA forays—its Open Choice program and the acquisition of BioMed Central in 2008—the move from Springer signals its belief that the academic market can sustain more of these author-paid article outlets.
Though only a fraction of Springer's revenue is derived from OA journals, that fraction is growing, said EVP of business development Wim van der Stelt. But van der Stelt was also keen to avoid wading into OA ideology, endorsing only sound business practices.
From Springer's perspective, it's just another business model, he said, one intended to augment not replace the traditional revenue stream. The topic areas covered by SpringerOpen include more general science, technology, and medicine disciplines not already covered by BioMed Central.
Look for more Marketplace Notes from ALA in next week's Newswire.
