Publishers Elsevier to give up on controversial “pay-to-publish” journal

The academic publishing industry is set to undergo a major change as Elsevier, one of the world’s largest academic publishers, has announced that it will cease to publish pay-to-publish journals by the end of 2023.

The move comes after years of criticism of the pay-to-publish model, which has been accused of allowing low-quality research to be published and of creating a conflict of interest for publishers.

Under the pay-to-publish model, authors pay a fee to have their research published in a journal, regardless of the quality of the research. This has led to concerns that some authors may be tempted to submit their work to pay-to-publish journals in order to increase their chances of publication, even if the research is not up to standard.

Elsevier has published 16 titles under this arrangement. Titles include the International Journal of Green Computing and Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences. Other publishers offer similar models under different names like “author-pays model” or “open access.”

Critics argue that the pay-to-publish model also creates a conflict of interest for publishers, as they have a financial incentive to publish as many papers as possible, regardless of quality. This can lead to a decrease in the overall quality of the research that is published.

In a statement, Elsevier said that it had decided to stop publishing pay-to-publish journals in order to “focus on our mission of supporting the scholarly community”. The company said that it would continue to publish open-access journals, but that these would be funded through subscription fees rather than author fees.

The move by Elsevier is a significant step forward for the academic publishing industry. It is likely to lead to a decrease in the number of pay-to-publish journals and an increase in the quality of research that is published.

Here are some of the key points to remember about Elsevier’s decision to stop publishing pay-to-publish journals:

• Elsevier is one of the world’s largest academic publishers.
• Elsevier has published 16 titles under “pay-to-publish” model.
• The pay-to-publish model has been criticized for allowing low-quality research to be published and for creating a conflict of interest for publishers.
• Elsevier has decided to stop publishing pay-to-publish journals by the end of 2023.
• The move is likely to lead to a decrease in the number of pay-to-publish journals and an increase in the quality of research that is published.