Plan S: Overlooked hybrid journal model.

Abstract

The European Commission's recent Plan S proposal laudably seeks to make scientific communications more freely available (“European funders seek to end reign of paywalled journals,” M. Enserink, In Depth, 7 September 2018, p. [957][1]), but the plan is based on misinformation that will likely make publishing more difficult for many scientists. Plan S eliminates hybrid journals, in which authors can pay for open access if they (or funding agencies) desire but can also select an option for non–open access ([ 1 ][2]). Plan S provides no justification for this decision ([ 2 ][3]). The president of Science Europe is quoted in the News story as saying that the hybrid model costs more because “the author publication fees come on top of the subscription price.” Hybrid journals do not necessarily require readers to pay for both open-access and paywalled papers. At Research Synthesis Methods (published by Wiley), we publish approximately 10 non–open access articles per issue and a varying number of additional open-access articles depending on case mix and availability. The number of open-access articles is independent of the number of non–open access articles. The open-access articles are available to both subscribers and nonsubscribers at no added cost. Therefore, we believe our model for a hybrid journal is an alternative that should satisfy Plan S because the publisher does not obtain monies from both subscribers and authors for open-access articles. Libraries or individuals who have paid subscription fees are obtaining additional free articles when authors pay for open access. Hybrid journals are an essential element of the scientific ecosystem, and they enhance authors' ability to disseminate research in top journals. Plan S would require interdisciplinary journals either to switch to complete open access, which would exclude potential authors who do not have funds to pay the open-access fees (especially young researchers and those from underfunded disciplines), or to remain a hybrid journal and forfeit the ability to publish papers from authors whose funding agencies mandate publication in completely open-access journals. Either way, increased restrictions on where scientists could publish would reduce academic freedom. 1. [↵][4]“Plan S: Making full and immediate Open Access a reality,” Science Europe ([www.scienceeurope.org/coalition-s][5]). 2. [↵][6]1. M. Shiltz , “Science without publication paywalls a preamble to: cOAlition S for the realisation of full and immediate open access,” Science Europe (2018); [www.scienceeurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/cOAlitionS_Preamble.pdf][7]. I.S. is a co-editor of Research Synthesis Methods. C.S. is a former co-editor of Research Synthesis Methods and current president of the Society for Research Synthesis Methodology, which owns the title to the journal. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/361/6406/957 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #ref-2 [4]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1 in text [5]: http://www.scienceeurope.org/coalition-s [6]: #xref-ref-2-1 View reference 2 in text [7]: http://www.scienceeurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/cOAlitionS_Preamble.pdf