What question did this study set out to answer?

The goal is to improve cost transparency in academic publishing at RWTH Aachen University.

May 21, 2026Open Access

RWTH Aachen University on the way to cost transparency in publishing

Key Points

The goal is to improve cost transparency in academic publishing at RWTH Aachen University.
Collected publication cost data from the DEAL project for 2022 and 2023.
Integrated cost data into OpenAPC.
Set up an Open Access Publication Fund starting January 2024 with DFG funding.
Successfully harvested and integrated cost information for the first time into OpenAPC.
Established an Open Access Publication Fund to support open scientific publishing.
Documenting cost information marks the beginning of comprehensive cost monitoring initiatives.

Abstract

As a project partner of the JOIN² cooperation 1 and thus also as a supporter of the openCost project, the University Library of RWTH Aachen University collects data on publication costs in its institutional repository. The cost information on articles from the DEAL project from the years 2022 and 2023 was successfully harvested and integrated for the first time to OpenAPC.The two-layered structure of the library system and the affiliated university hospital are a particular organisational challenge for cost monitoring.With effect from 1 January 2024, the University Library has set up an Open Access Publication Fund with third-party funding from the DFG's funding programm ‘Open Access Publication Costs’ to improve the services for open scientific publishing at the university and thus further increase the global visibility of RWTH's research output.The transparent documentation of the cost information is the first step towards comprehensive cost monitoring at RWTH Aachen University.1 https://join2-wiki.gsi.de/

RWTH Aachen University on the way to cost transparency in publishing

Key Points

Abstract

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