Springer Open Choice Uptake Affects 2011 Journal Pricing

Springer has analyzed the uptake of its open access option Open Choice for articles published in 2009 and is pleased to share its impact on 2011 pricing.

Springer Open Choice allows authors to publish their article with open access in exchange for payment of a fee, for the majority of its journals. The articles are then immediately freely available and the copyright remains with the author, and articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License. These articles can be self-archived with immediate access.

A detailed analysis of the Open Choice articles published in 2009 showed that over 30 journals published a significant share of paid open access articles in 2009. This will be reflected in these journals’ 2011 subscription prices.

Wim van der Stelt, EVP Business Development at Springer, says: “We have always said that we would monitor the uptake of the Open Choice offering closely. In 2010, we already adjusted subscription prices for a small group of journals and the group of journals with a significant number of paid Open Choice articles has grown further. We are therefore pleased to reflect this in the 2011 pricing. We believe that this emphasizes the constructive attitude of Springer towards open access, which we have shown previously by pioneering Open Choice in 2004 and acquiring BioMed Central in 2008.”