ABSTRACT

Academic journal publishing is experiencing a revolution, much of it driven by a desire to “open” access to knowledge. For about a century up until 2000, the dominant model of publishing limited access to fee-paying subscribers of printed journals, the majority of which were university libraries. But, with the emergence of digital publishing and distribution tools, many now argue that this “closed” subscription model is out-dated, if not immoral. Advocates for open access argue that academic knowledge is a public good, and with digital technologies for-profit publishers no longer have legitimate claims to reap profits from a process to which they add little value. These advocates argue that, whatever the new funding model, readership should not be restricted to subscribers, but freely open to anyone with an internet connection. Yet, despite its drawbacks, the subscription model did more than limit access. It also checked the volume and quality of academic knowledge produced.