Lack of grants from funding agencies biggest barrier to OA publishing in physical sciences, study finds

Over half (53%) of physical science researchers want to publish open access (OA) but 62% say a lack of monies from funding agencies prevents them from doing so.

The finding comes from a new global study carried out by AIP Publishing, the American Physical Society (APS), IOP Publishing (IOPP) and Optica Publishing Group (formerly OSA).

Over 3,000 physical science researchers from across the globe participated in the OA in physics: researcher perspectives study, which was carried out by the physics society publishers to better understand and meet the needs of the physical sciences community as it relates to OA. 

Over the past 5 years, 14% of respondents have not published OA at all. Further, over 50% have only published one article per year OA over that period.

The lack of grant monies from funding agencies is most keenly felt by researchers in South, Central and Latin America as well as in India and Pakistan where approximately 80% of respondents specified a lack of funds as the main reason for not publishing OA.  In Europe, 61% state that obtaining grants is the most significant barrier to OA publishing.

Overall, 30% of the respondents say they have not been able to publish in a specific journal due to lack of access to grant funding to pay for the cost of publishing OA. In South, Central and Latin America, that figure rises to 50%.