(6 Feb 2023) cOAlition S is seeking to engage the services of a consultant to explore how a globally fair pricing system for academic publishing could be devised and implemented. The European Science Foundation, which hosts the cOAlition S office, will award the contract on behalf of cOAlition S.
cOAlition S is participating with UNESCO, the International Science Council (ISC), the Open Access 2020 Initiative (OA2020), Electronic Information for Libraries (EIFL), the Association of African Universities, and Science Europe in organising a series of workshops on global equity in Open Access publishing. The first of these workshops focused on viewpoints from Europe and Africa, and participants formulated a variety of proposals, including a call for publishers to adopt more equitable practices, including but not limited to transparent pricing of Open Access publishing services based on purchasing power parity (PPP).
As a follow-up to the workshop, cOAlition S wishes to commission a study to explore how a globally fair pricing system for academic publishing could be devised and implemented. We will work with our partners in the Global Equity Workshop in taking this forward.
The key objective of this study is to identify ways in which readers and producers of scholarly publications (or their proxies, namely research funders and universities, could financially contribute to supporting the academic publishing services valued by their research communities as a function of their means in a manner that is globally equitable and sustainable.
The objective of the study for tender is to explore the current pricing and distribution of costs of academic publishing and explore alternative pricing models that are fair and transparent and that enable global participation and equitable cost distribution. Special consideration should be given to the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) model, which Osman & Rooryck (2022) suggested as a potential model for devising an equitable pricing model for academic publishing.
An outline of the key tasks, deliverables, and available budget, along with an application template is available here. Those who wish to apply for this consultancy should send the completed template (Annex A) to [email protected] no later than Monday, 13th March 2023, at 09.00 GMT.
The announcement in full is here.
