New De Gruyter model 'prevents double dipping'

De Gruyter is introducing a new pricing model that it says prevents 'double dipping' with open access publications.

Double dipping is when publishers are paid twice for articles in hybrid journals, on the one hand through charging for the open access publication itself and, on the other hand, through the journal subscription price.

Jacek Ciesielski, vice president open access at De Gruyter, said: 'Double dipping was a weak point in the publication process for open access. The price reductions that we are introducing at De Gruyter from 2016 will enable us to eradicate these weak points, offer our customers fair prices and thereby create greater acceptance for open access publications.'

If five per cent or more of the articles published in one of De Gruyter’s subscription journals are open access articles, the subscription price for the journal will be proportionally reduced.

As part of consortium agreements, De Gruyter also offers to offset APCs (article processing charges) from the subscription price. Both reductions apply to the following year in accordance with the number of issues and required expenditure for the previous volume.