Study On The Economic And Technical Evolution Of The Scientific Publication Markets In Europe

The report, prepared for the European Commission, examines the distinct characteristics of the scientific journal market. It encompasses the comprehensive market landscape, conducts a quantitative analysis of journal prices, and investigates the influence of technological advancements on pricing strategies and market entry dynamics. The report also assesses the ramifications of these developments for competition policy. Furthermore, the report addresses various alternatives for disseminating and accessing scientific publications. It considers the accessibility of research results on individual web pages or public repositories, the emergence of open-access journals, and other alternatives such as pay-per-view. Additionally, it discusses the long-term preservation of electronic publications and the significance of standards to ensure interoperability between systems. Public decision-makers’ attention is crucial for two reasons. Firstly, science plays a pivotal role in driving economic growth, and scientific journals serve as essential platforms for disseminating new knowledge within the academic community and beyond. Secondly, a substantial portion of scientific research is publicly funded. The output of research is typically not purchased by journals but rather ‘donated’ by publicly-funded researchers. Similarly, refereeing services for evaluating research are often provided by publicly-funded entities. Consequently, journals are frequently purchased by publicly-funded researchers or, more commonly, by publicly-funded libraries. Therefore, it is imperative for public authorities to form an informed opinion on the relative efficiency of the scientific publication process.