More transparency on open access pricing – University of Helsinki contributes to the OpenAPC service

Updated information on the open access fees paid by research organisations is key to moving towards a more financially sustainable publishing culture. Last year, the University of Helsinki joined the international OpenAPC service, which maintains an open database of open access fees.

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The University of Helsinki took a major step in transparency and openness of article processing charges (APC) last year when it joined the OpenAPC service, which promotes transparency of open access pricing information.

During this autumn, the data transfer has been further improved and since October, the APC data have been automatically updated from the Tuhat research information system to the OpenAPC database. However, the OpenAPC does not give a complete picture of open access charges.

”The OpenAPC database will include the fees paid through the Helsinki University Library and those fees that can be identified as open access fees in the University of Helsinki financial reports. If the APC is paid by the researcher herself/himself or through other funding, no information on payment transactions is currently available. It is difficult to estimate the size of this missing share”, says Päivi Lammi, information specialist at the Helsinki University Library’s APC Service.

A total of 24 Finnish research organisations are now registered with OpenAPC. OpenAPC, hosted by the Bielefeld University Library, is the internationally most important APC monitoring platform. Also in the University of Helsinki, the library is responsible for the transparency of APC information.

The service allows you to view both national APC fees and the APC fees paid by the University of Helsinki, broken down by publishers.