Open Access Scholarly
Publishing in South Africa:
The AOSIS Perspective
Pierre JT de Villiers, MB, ChB, PhD
Managing Director
African Online Scientific Information Systems (AOSIS)
Outline
• Context: AOSIS
• South African response to OA
• Current issues
Scientific Papers Published - 2001
Est. 1999
AOSIS Openjournals - Est 2005
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Scholarly Publication services - partnering
Open Access only (innovator) - CC-BY
CPD link
Innovations:
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OJS
DOI & Crosscheck
ePUB
XML
QR codes
AOSIS: Journal growth (N=28)
Journals Published per year
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
AOSIS: Journals per discipline (28)
Total Journals in 2013
(n=28)
Veterinary, 2
Science, 6
Social Sciences, 9
Theology, 4
Health Sciences, 7
Journal ownership
SOC
4
UNIV
2
13
8
AOSIS
Other
AOSIS: Manuscript growth
Submissions vs Published
1600
1400
1200
Manuscripts
1000
800
600
400
200
0
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Axis Title
Submissions per year
Published manuscripts per year
2012
2013
AOSIS OpenJournals -business models
N=28
Subsidy
& APC
35%
Full APC
26%
No APC
39%
South Africa – quick facts
• Population: 53m
• Size: 2X France
• GNI/C - $7,190
• Unemployment = 25–36%
• Public universities: 25
• Students at universities = >1m
• Research publications = 10,056 (2011), 33rd
in world rank
• Severe skills shortage, poor basic education
RSA economic growth
Global internet penetration – RSA 49% (85th)
Government funding for
research output - 2013
• Total govt university funding: $2 billion
(GDP = $350,6): o,57%
• “Policy and Procedures for Measurement 0f
Research Output of Public Higher Education
Institutions” – 2003
• Block Subsidy: $85m, (Unit = $10,500)
▫ Journal articles = 7403
▫ Books = 331
▫ Conference Proceedings = 351
“Accredited” journals (262)
• 2003 - 2014
▫ RSA DOE list – application process (202)
▫ ISI (Thompson Reuters WoS)/IBSS (60)
• 2015 (?)
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Scielo SA
Scopus
Norwegian Register for Scientific Journals
RSA list = “developmental” (5 years)
Scholarly Journal Publishers
Accredited RSA Journals (N = 262)
27%
Universities
42%
Independents
Societies
Museums
28%
March 2006
“Report on a Strategic Approach to
Research Publishing in South Africa”
GOAL: to help develop and maintain a robust national system
of innovation that contributes materially to the sustainable
prosperity of all South Africa’s people.
2008
ASSAf peer review panels (140)
Completed – since 2010
• Agricultural & basic life sciences (19)
• Social sciences (12)
• Law (24)
• Health and related medical sciences (35)
• Religion, Theology and related fields (24)
In progress
• Humanities (28)
Scielo.org.za
Est. 2009
Open access, searchable, full-text repository
(part of Brazilian system)
• RSA journals
• Free to participate (tax payer funded)
• “High quality” journals = 46/180:(25%)
– peer review panels
Institutional support
• Berlin Declaration:
RSA 14, ROF 22
• Institutional repositories: RSA 24
• Limited APC funds: Univ. Pretoria
DOAJ.org – RSA (n = 262) 2014
80
70 (27%)
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Business model – SA Journals 2014
Tipping the scale to OA!
OA
120, 44%
152, 56%
Subs
OA - Late majority phase of innovation
Current issues
• Perception of poor quality of OA
 “Science” Sting!
 Journal high-jacking “Bothalia”
• Impact Factor “pressure” vs OA
encouragement - Govt & Univ
• Public-funded institutions taking on
publishing roles (universities, scielo?), against
backdrop of higher demands on Fiscus (Govt
debt of GDP= 46%) – sustainable?
Thank you!
pierre@aosis.co.za
www.openjournals.net