Cases for researchers to pay for scientific publication were increasing: up to 200 million yen - Kyoto University

Last month NHK News On-line reported the following:

最大で2億円 科学論文公開で研究者が料金支払うケース増 京大

2020年1月13日 4時09分

科学論文を公開するため、研究者が雑誌の出版社に料金を支払うケースが増えていて、京都大学が学内の状況を調べたところ、昨年度の投稿料は最大でおよそ２億円だったことが分かりました。専門家は、研究費を圧迫しているおそれがあり、国内全体の状況を調べる必要があると指摘しています。

科学雑誌はこれまで主に購読料を支払って読む形式だったため、研究者が論文を投稿する際に料金は生じませんでしたが、近年は誰でも無料で読めるように公開する一方で、投稿した研究者から投稿料を受け取るオープンアクセスと呼ばれる方式が増えています。

こうした中、京都大学が、所属する研究者を対象にオープンアクセスの利用状況を調べたところ、昨年度、オープンアクセスで投稿した論文は最大で1400本、投稿料は最大で１億9000万円だったことが分かりました。

投稿料の平均はおよそ13万6000円となっていて、前の年度と比べて、論文数は20％余り増加し、投稿料の総額もおよそ18％増加したということです。

科学雑誌の現状に詳しい国立情報学研究所の安達淳副所長は「信頼性の高い調査としては初めて行われたものといえる。投稿料の負担によって研究費を圧迫しているおそれがあり、国内全体の状況を早急に調べて対応を検討する必要がある」と指摘しています。

Translation

Researchers were increasingly paying journal publishers to publish their scientific papers, and when Kyoto University examined the situation on campus, the posting fee last year was at the highest and was up to about 200 million yen. Experts had pointed out the worry that researching costs might be under pressure and it was necessary to look into the situation in the country.

Until now, scientific journals were mainly read with a subscription fee, so there was no charge when researchers submit articles. However, in recent years articles were opened up so that anyone could read them for free and a method called open access, which received submission fees from researchers, was increasing.

Under these circumstances, Kyoto University examined the use of open access by researchers of the university. In the previous academic year, it was understood that the maximum number of papers submitted via open access was 1,400 and the submission fee was 190 million yen at the highest.

The average submission fee was about 136,000 yen. Compared to the previous academic year the number of papers had increased by about 20% and the total submission fee had increased by about 18%.

Adachi Jun, the deputy director of the National Institute of Informatics who was familiar with the current state of scientific journals pointed out that "it can be said that this is the first reliable survey. The burden of posting fee has put pressure on research expenses; there is also a need to examine the situation of the whole country as soon as possible to consider a response."

        So, it is expensive for the scholars in Japan to publish their research papers.