Under the University of Vermont’s (UVM) new open-access academic press, authors and readers will not have to pay fees to publish or access published materials.
Dr. Bryn Geffert
The move by UVM Press – overseen by UVM Libraries – is meant to eliminate financial hurdles and barriers to peer-reviewed research that traditional publishing and access models impose. This endeavor was announced last week, with its first publication, The Journal of Ecological Engineering Design, released that week as well.
"It is indeed completely free,” said Dr. Bryn Geffert, dean of libraries at UVM. “It was very important to us that we have a model that does not charge either readers or authors, and that the only criteria for publishing with the press is the quality of the work, not the author's ability to pay."
Entwined in UVM Press’s diamond open-access model is a sentiment of shared responsibilities and a commitment not to profit, according to its website. Collaborators will have to agree to publish digitally using Creative Commons licenses; use only the publishing platforms and resources provided by UVM Press; forgo processing charges, subscription fees, and membership requirements; engage in peer review; and maintain a rolling publication schedule for journal articles.
The press – it employs a “diamond open-access model” – is open to all scholars, including those not affiliated with UVM.
Open-access models are becoming increasingly popular but some of them may be cause for concern, Geffert said.
“We're seeing some, particularly large commercial publishers, launch or convert journals to open-access models where they do not charge readers for the work but are bringing in fees – sometimes even more fees than they were obtaining by selling journal subscriptions – by beginning to charge authors,” Geffert said. “I think there's a good argument that that sort of open-access is a model that simply perpetuates inequalities. This is particularly worrying for folks who are working at underfunded institutions, especially in the Global South.”
