Another adaption to the journal giant’s business model

Where research in the journal-giant’s publications used to be pay-to-read the company has responded to the open access movement by starting to switch to a pay-to-publish model. In this case, Dutch research organisations will pay around €80m over four years.

They will also have access to Elsevier’s vast data resources. This fits the company’s apparent move to become less a journal publisher and more a vast research data miner/refiner. CEO Kumsal Bayazit set out the strategy in a speech last November (CMM November 13).

It is another make-nice move by Elsevier, which has struck deals across Europe in the context of open access Plan S. The awaited big-breakthrough will be when, or if, the company reaches agreement on OA with the University of California network. Talks stopped early last year and while there are signs an agreement on cost and OA terms is possible it has not happened yet.