For Immediate Release - 30 July 2007

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The Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP), publisher of Learned Publishing - the leading journal on scholarly and professional publishing - announces the launch of 'ALPSP Author Choice', an optional Open Access model whereby authors can choose to make the online version of their article freely available to all immediately on publication. The fee for this optional service is £1,250/$2,500 for members of ALPSP and the Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) and £1,500/$3,000 for non-members. 'ALPSP Author Choice' is being launched on a trial basis by ALPSP, the international association for non-profit publishers and those who work with them. The first article to be published under the new service appeared in the July 2007 issue of the journal (Volume 20, No. 3), and is entitled 'Going all the way: how Hindawi became an open access publisher' by Paul Peters.

Learned Publishing already provides 'Delayed Open Access': all papers can be accessed free of charge 12 months after publication. The journal is also freely accessible to all ALPSP and SSP members, and to participants in the HINARI and AGORA projects.

The new open access option is being tested by ALPSP to see if it provides a viable way of sustaining the costs of peer review, editing and other aspects of journal publication.

ALPSP's CEO, Ian Russell, said today: 'Many of the over 350 members of ALPSP are trialling open access business models for their journals. We have always supported the need for serious debate backed by experimentation in order to help determine the effects, both positive and negative, of Open Access.  We see this initiative as a useful way of establishing if an author-side payment choice can be viable for a journal such as Learned Publishing, which currently involves a combination of subscription, advertising, and membership income to support its publication.'

The Editor-in-Chief of Learned Publishing, Sally Morris, commented:  'Our journal carries many articles reflecting the great interest in the topic of Open Access.  I am delighted that our publisher feels able to test the water itself, by launching an 'Open Access choice' for our own authors.  We shall be monitoring authors' responses with close interest.'

The 'ALPSP Author Choice' service is being offered on a trial basis that will run for 12 months, before being reviewed by ALPSP Council, at which point the current subscription rates will also be considered.

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Learned Publishing launches trial 'Open Access' option

For Immediate Release - 30 July 2007

Notes for Editors 

About Learned Publishing
Learned Publishing is the leading journal on scholarly and professional publishing, carrying research articles, case studies and informed opinion.  It was first published in 1988; it is published quarterly. It is published by the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP) in cooperation with the Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP). The current Editor-in-Chief is Sally Morris; the North American Editor is Priscilla Markwood.

Notes for editors

About the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers
The Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP) is the only international trade association representing all types of non-profit publishers as well as the largest trade association for scholarly and professional publishers. It has over 350 members in 36 countries, who collectively publish over 10,000 journals - around half the world's total - as well as books, databases and other products and services.
 
ALPSP's mission is to play an active part in shaping the future of academic and professional communication, promoting 'Scholarship-Friendly Publishing'. At this time of unprecedented change in the publishing environment, we believe that non-profit publishers have a unique role to play.  We therefore aim to serve, represent and strengthen the community of non-profit publishers, and those who work with them.

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