In order to publish their research results in open access journals, authors often have to pay publication fees – so-called article processing charges (APCs). The BMBF-funded project KOALA (Konsortiale Open Access Lösungen aufbauen – Building Consortial Open Access Solutions) is developing an alternative financing model by organising consortia that jointly bear the costs of subject-specific OA publications. In the pledging phase, the search has now begun for institutions, companies and individuals who would like to commit to collaborative OA funding in the fields of media studies and social sciences.
How does collaborative funding work?
In the KOALA programme, participants can contribute to the funding of the journal bundles KOALA Media Studies 2023 and KOALA Social Sciences 2023. The prices for the individual bundles are determined on the basis of the financial needs of the journals and publication series that they report to KOALA for the sustainable operation of their publication. For each bundle there is a tiering system, to which participating supporters can assign themselves according to their size. The journals and publication series then receive funding from the KOALA consortium over three years. If the specified number of supporters is reached, they contribute according to their size and the volume of the bundled publications. If there are not enough supporters, KOALA will not fund the project.
How can I or my institution participate in the funding?
- Interested parties can contact the project team by email at koala@tib.eu or attend one of the information events.
- Further information can be found in the press release of the TIB – Leibniz Information Centre for Science and Technology.
The KOALA project is a joint project of TIB and the Communication, Information, Media Centre (KIM) of the University of Konstanz.