A model of scholarly publishing with hybrid academic journals

Damien Besancenot and Radu Vranceanu

Theory and Decision, 2017, vol. 82, issue 1, No 8, 150 pages

Abstract: Abstract In April 2013, all of the major academic publishing houses moved thousands of journal titles to an original hybrid model, under which authors of accepted papers can choose between an expensive open access (OA) track and the traditional track available only to subscribers. This paper argues that authors might now use a publication strategy as a quality signaling device. The imperfect information game between authors and readers presents several types of Perfect Bayesian Equilibria, including a separating equilibrium in which only authors of high-quality papers are driven toward the open access track. The publishing house should choose an open-access publication fee that supports the emergence of the highest return equilibrium. Journal structures will evolve over time according to the journals’ accessibility and quality profiles.

Keywords: Academic publishing; Open access; Knowledge diffusion; Imperfect information; Signaling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A14 D52 L23 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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Working Paper: A model of scholarly publishing with hybrid academic journals (2014)
Working Paper: A model of scholarly publishing with hybrid academic journals (2014)
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DOI: 10.1007/s11238-016-9553-0

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