The PhD Expedition

One of the views I often hear from editors and researchers is how publishers are there only to fleece money out of researchers for the research that they have worked hard on. This monstrous image of Publishing companies has been building over decades and most communities of authors and researchers have grudgingly accepted this as the norm as a part of the vicious (possibly toxic) cycle of gaining visibility for their research and having to depend on Publishers for the same.

Yes, there are models to publish for free but then it compromises on citations and downloads the minute it goes behind a paywall, making it accessible for other researchers to read-only on payment (pay-per-view). Isn’t the purpose of research to add to existing knowledge and set a new direction for upcoming research?

Part of the problem is a lack of understanding of what Publishers do. The general view, unfortunately, largely remains that publishers are merely uploading articles on their platform, getting journals indexed, and using their wide reach to make money. So let’s admit the first fact: Like any business, profit and loss affect Publishers. However, it is not completely about the money.

This brings me to fact number 2: One does not need a Publisher to run a successful journal that is indexed in the right places and has an impact. However, a journal without the sustained support system and insights to guide the growth of a journal, which a Publisher can provide, can get derailed easily.

When it comes to working with a publisher, the best comparison I can think of is personal fitness and gym membership.

When one embarks on a journey of fitness, there are various options to consider. There are free options, for example, going for walk every day, or working out at home. But suppose one wants quicker results, one invests in gym membership where expensive gym equipment is at your disposal without having to buy each and every one of them. Let’s compare this to publishing under close access or subscription model for ease of understanding. One can work out and get desired results.

Now what if the aim is more specific, for instance, to have 6-pack abs? To achieve the fitness goal, one may have to invest further in a personal trainer and/or a nutritionist to create a cutomised plan keep one on track with what will work and what does not work (afterall, everyone’s fitness levels and body composition is different) in achieving the goal.

In all these cases, the person who has to do the hard work and shed sweat has to be the one who set the fitness goal in the first place. The investment (for a gym membership and for customised support from gym trainers and nutrionist) is also borne by the one who set the goal. Publishers are those who are providing the platform and customised support.

As for why one pays premium prices, the personal trainers and nutritionists are also those who have undergone years of training to build their expertise. What one does not see are the hundreds of people, in different teams, involved behind the scenes to ensure processes are followed and make decisions on best practices. It is never as simple as taking an article and posting it online.

There is a reason why one single person is never the expert in Publishing even within a publishing house even after decades of work experience in the field but I’ll save that explanation for a later time.