Article processing charges
the Brazilian scenario according to data extracted from OpenAlex
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5380/atoz.v15.98634Keywords:
Open access, Scientific production, Scientific article, Article processing chargesAbstract
Introduction: Objective: The study aimed to analyze the payment of article processing charges (APCs) for Open Access articles published by authors affiliated with Brazilian institutions. Method: The analysis was based on article data extracted from the OpenAlex API, covering the period from 2018 to 2023. APC cost estimates were derived from a specific field in the database, with values expressed in U.S. dollars (apc_paid_usd). Results: A 70% increase in APC payments was observed over the period, with an average annual growth of 11% in the amounts invested in fee payments. The average APC prices rose from 1,085 U.S. dollars in 2018 to 1,264 U.S. dollars in 2023. The results also indicate a concentration of APC payments among publishers such as MDPI, Elsevier, Springer Nature, Frontiers Media, and Wiley, as well as their respective journal titles. Conclusion: The findings highlight the growth in the number of articles published via APC payments, leading to a corresponding increase in the financial investment required for article publication. They also reflect the concentration of paid resources in terms of both journal titles and publishing groups, reinforcing previous studies focusing on Brazil and other contexts. Additionally, the results emphasize the prevalence of APC payments for hybrid journals, in contrast to the expected growth of the gold Open Access model, as advocated by the implementation of so-called transformative agreements.
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