More on the Blackwell Online Open policy

Andrew Albanese, Blackwell Offers Open Access Plan, Library Journal, April 1, 2005. Excerpt: 'Blackwell Publishing, the leading publisher of society journals, has announced an open access publishing experiment, Online Open, to operate through 2006. Like Springer's Open Choice program, announced last year (see News, LJ 8/04, p. 16ff.), Blackwell's plan will create a hybrid system, in which open access articles are included in print subscription journals, with subscription prices adjusted, and Online Open articles will be freely available via the publisher's online journals platform, Blackwell Synergy. During the trial period, the Online Open fee will be fixed at $2500 or £1250. Blackwell officials say that Online Open submissions will be treated in the same way as any other article. Unlike Springer's Open Choice program, however, authors participating in Blackwell's Online Open program will not be required to sign over copyright to their articles, a key issue to supporters of open access.'