As the open access push increases in Europe and the US the publisher is adopting different approaches

It is holding the line on pay to read/pay to publish in some markets (note the stand-off with the University of California) and reaching deals on profitable OA across Europe.

Elsevier is also reminding whoever will listen that it is an immense data resource, which is essential to research, (the company is certainly investing in products to make this so).

CEO Kumsal Bayazit set out the Elsevier approach in a speech to a library conference last week.

“The question is not whether open access is desirable or beneficial — the question is how we get there,” she said, citing different agreements adopted in different markets. Although, she discretely reminded her audience, “we are a for-profit company, but we are a very responsible one.”

And she made it clear that researchers need the services Elsevier provides now and is creating, including new indicators for research impact and, “tools that enable researchers automatically to document their methods, protocols and to implement data management plans.”

It is not a speech that will appeal to free to read, free to publish advocates but it demonstrated how Elsevier has vast and profitable resources in research publishing and data management, and will adapt to keep them.