Understanding the Academic Publishing Landscape – Big Publishers, Market Dynamics and Open Access Models
This talk by Prof. Dr. Stefanie Haustein (University of Ottawa) offers a critical overview of the evolving publishing landscape.
Thomas Arndt
Abstract
The academic publishing system is undergoing a profound transformation driven by the rise of open access (OA) and new funding and licensing models. This talk offers a critical overview of the evolving publishing landscape, with a focus on the financial implications of various OA models and the strategic shift of commercial publishers towards article processing charges (APCs) and read-and-publish agreements (R&PAs).
Drawing on recent studies and open datasets from the ScholCommLab, we will explore global APC expenditures, pricing disparities between publishers, and the limitations of R&PAs. The ZB colloquium will also discuss the implications of these developments for researchers, libraries, and funders—and their role in advancing more equitable and sustainable publishing practices.
About our speaker
Prof. Dr. Stefanie Haustein (University of Ottawa)
Dr. Stefanie Haustein is an associate professor at the School of Information Studies at the University of Ottawa (Canada) and co-director of the ScholCommLab (Ottawa & Vancouver). She is also an affiliated researcher with several interdisciplinary research centers, including the Institute for Science, Society and Policy (ISSP), the Centre for Journalology and the LIFE Research Institute at the University of Ottawa, as well as the Centre interuniversitaire de recherche sur la science et la technologie at Université du Québec à Montréal.
Her research focuses on scholarly communication, research evaluation, and open science, with an emphasis on open access and research data sharing and reuse. Using bibliometric and mixed methods – including large-scale surveys and interviews – her work critically examines academic publishing, metrics, and responsible research assessment practices.
Stefanie holds a Master’s degree in history, American linguistics and literature, and information science, and a PhD in information science from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany. Stefanie has previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher at École de bibliothéconomie et des sciences de l’information, Université de Montréal and as a bibliometric analyst at Science-Metrix, Canada as well as Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany.
Stefanie is currently on sabbatical in Germany.
Forschungszentrum Jülich’s Central Library (ZB)
The Central Library is an innovative information service provider in the field of science and research. In this context, the library undertakes its own projects, cooperates with modern information centres and publishers, and organizes conferences at the interface between science and information. The results of this work are documented in numerous journal articles, conference papers, books and other publications.
ZB Colloquium
ZB colloquia are primarily internal ZB events. If interested, however, employees from other organizational units of Forschungszentrum Jülich, employees of other Helmholtz centres , and guests can also participate in the events after registration and confirmation.
ZB colloquia serve as a platform to present new and important projects, interim reports on ongoing projects, and information on QM (sub-)processes and other library-relevant topics (e.g. knowledge gained from training courses and invited experts).
How to join?
Registration Form
30 June 2025 | 14:00-15:30 CEST | FZJ, Central Library, building 04.7, room 331
Please note:
The number of participants is limited. We will send an email to the email address you have provided to confirm your registration.
Your contact at ZB
Thomas Arndt
Email: t.arndt@fz-juelich.de
Library marketing / Event management