Open Access in the Humanities
and Social Sciences
A SAGE Perspective
David Ross, Executive Publisher – Open Access
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
SAGE
● Founded almost 50 years ago (anniversary is 2015)
● First journal Urban Affairs Quarterly launched in
September 1965 (now Urban Affairs Review)
● Predominatetely HSS publisher – 481 journals and
800 books a year (221 STM journals)
● Publish journals on behalf of 300 learned societies
● Still wholly owned by founder and chairperson – Sara
Miller McCune
● Independent – will eventually transfer into the hands
of an charitable trust – takes a long term view
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
SAGE and Open Access
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
Why SAGE Open?
● Leading Social Science publisher
● Supporting and nurturing interdisciplinary research
● Campaign for Social Science and social science
research
● Independent – long term view, the HSS funding
challenge
● The first HSS “mega journal” - premier destination for
high quality OA research in HSS
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
SAGE Open: Facts and stats
● Open for submissions end of 2010
● Launched April 2011 with 6 papers
● Over 2100 submissions from 93 countries to
date
● >1500 projected submissions in 2013
● 340 articles published to date
● Nearly 300,000 Downloads
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
Published articles
Published Articles by Month
40
35
30
25
20
15
2011
2012
2013
10
5
0
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
What APC in HSS?
$695 List Price
1000
904
871
900
800
700
600
500
432
400
300
200
100
0
2011
2012
2013
$195
$395
$99
SAGE Open survey: Over 70% constituted personal payments
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
Monthly submissions data
Submissions by Month
300
250
200
150
2011
2012
100
2013
50
0
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
How many Editors & Reviewers?
3,167 reviewed
1,723 agreed
article editors
6,230 invited to
review
24,641 registered
reviewers
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
12,748 invited
article editors
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
Where are our authors?
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
What do we know about them?
What is your age?
70 or older
Under 30
65-69
30-34
60-64
35-39
50-54
40-44
45-49
45-49
50-54
40-44
60-64
35-39
65-69
30-34
70 or older
Under 30
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
What do we know about them? (cont.)
What is the highest degree you have obtained?
2.4%
1.0%
15.7%
Certificate or diploma
Associate/Baccalaureate
Masters
Doctorate
Advanced board certification
81.0%
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
97% would publish in SAGE Open again
Overall satisfaction level of your
experience publishing with SAGE
76%-100%
73%
51%-75%
23%
0%-50%
4%
71% of respondents said SAGE Open
was their first choice
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
Top considerations for submitting:
● SAGE’s reputation
● Subject fit
● Quality of previously published authors or
papers
● Internationality of journal
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
Are we succeeding in being “full
spectrum”?
Which term best describes your area of academic study?
Sociology
Research methods
Psychology
Political Science
Management
Gerontology
Education
Criminology
Humanities
Anthropology
Communication
Counseling
Criminology
Economics
Education
Geography
Gerontology
Information science
Management
Neuroscience
Political Science
Psychiatry
Psychology
Public health
Research methods
Social work
Sociology
Urban studies
Communication
Humanities
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
Top subjects for submissions
Research Methods
Economics
Criminology
Humanities
Political Science
Management
Communication
Sociology
Psychology
Education
0
50
100
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
150
200
250
300
350
400
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
What about our readers?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
Source
Visits
Pages/Visit
online.sagepub.com
8,031
2.95
sagepub.com
3,548
4.03
surveys.sagepublications.com
3,506
3.25
sageopen.com
3,224
3.06
facebook.com
2,341
2.48
uk.sagepub.com
2,046
3.39
highwire.stanford.edu
1,496
3.51
36ohk6dgmcd1n-c.c.yom.mail.yahoo.net
1,076
3.1
as.exeter.ac.uk
1,032
2.73
t.co [twitter]
864
1.92
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
Visitor Flows
● 47% start with content page
● 38% start with home page
● 72% drop off after start page
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
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Singapore | Washington DC
Citations
● Total Cited SAGE Open Articles:
40
● SAGE Open Articles cited
by ISI ranked journals:
13
● Total Citations:
61
● Citations by ranked journals:
17
● Most citations of one article:
7
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
The challenge of OA in HSS
Time to First Decision
350
300
# of Days
250
200
150
100
50
0
2011
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
2012
2013 YTD
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
Lessons in revisions and decisions..
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
SAGE Open Rejection Rate
75%
300
270
71%
250
# Articles Rejected
Reject Rate by Year
Articles Rejected by Year
70%
68%
191
200
65%
62%
142
150
61%
112
60%
57%
100
56%
55%
50
41
38
50%
0
2011
2012
# Desk Rejects
# Reject w/review
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
2013
2011
2012
w/desk rejects
2013
Excluding desk rejects
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
Differences in HSS
● Selection Mechanisms Different
● Intellectual Property is the idea
● Research output in form of an article is
different
● Immediacy not so crucial
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
Conclusions
● SAGE Open is establishing a reputation
● Shown there is demand for broad
spectrum multidisciplinary journal
● Difference disciplines present different
challenges
● Drivers for OA not the same in HSS
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC
Thank You
david.ross@sagepub.co.uk
Open Access and SAGE – COASP 19th Sept, 2013
Los Angeles | London | New Delhi
Singapore | Washington DC