Transition from subscription to OA business model

An independent, STM publisher reached out to Maverick for support in developing a sustainable business plan to grow journal subscriptions in the short term and to prepare for a transition to fully Open Access in the future.

Goals

There were two major goals of the project. The first was to provide advice and guidance on the most suitable subscription options to help the publisher grow its customer base and reduce long-term attrition. A secondary goal was to help the publisher gain a greater understanding of the Open Access (OA) market and the opportunities to transition its portfolio to a new business model.

Process

Maverick worked with the publisher to collect and analyze the portfolio’s subscription data, in addition to reviewing the wider market and competition. We considered the current site license pricing, collection modeling, and separation of the archive from the current site license.

Concurrently, Maverick conducted a detailed market analysis of the landscape for Open Access and Open Science (OS) models. Recommendations were also provided on how the publisher could remain compliant with funding policies/market changes. The report highlighted the most appropriate OA business models for its portfolio and identified the most suitable journals for a transition in the short-term. We concluded the project with the development of a roadmap for a manageable, cost-effective transition of the publisher’s chosen titles.

Results

The project provided the publisher with a greater understanding of its current subscription-based model, market conditions, and opportunities for the future. It also gave the publisher insight into how and when it should begin its transition to sustainable Open Access.

 

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