For many scholarly societies, selling subscriptions to the journals they publish has historically been a key source of revenue, helping subsidize other work such as advocacy and providing scholarships. But the trend toward open-access publishing is threatening that income stream even as costs are rising, a recent survey indicates. More than 90% of the 66 societies that participated said the revenue they collect from publishing journals is not keeping pace with inflation, and about half reported a decrease.
The respondents represent just a small fraction of all societies that publish journals, estimated to be in the thousands globally, and U.K. societies made up three-quarters. But Michael Clarke, managing director of Clarke & Esposito, a consulting company for scholarly publishers, says the findings are similar to what clients in several countries have told him: Many are seeing flat publishing revenues, which represent declines after accounting for inflation. (Science is produced by the scientific society AAAS, one of the larger scientific societies in the United States; Science’s News section is editorially independent.)
Of the respondents—almost all focused on science, engineering, or math—nearly half said they rely on publishing revenue for more than 50% of their total budget. Most respondents publish five or fewer journals, a relatively small volume that is typically less financially efficient than the largest publishers. As a result, some are cutting back on other work. “One society described having to considerably reduce the scale of charitable activities, while another ceased all new book commissioning,” says Rob Johnson, managing director of Research Consulting, the firm that produced the report, published on 28 May. (It does not identify which societies participated in the survey, which the firm distributed largely with the help of publishing trade groups and scholarly society associations.)
More: https://www.science.org/content/article/many-scientific-societies-are-losing-publishing-revenue
