Double dipping in hybrid open access – chimera or reality?

The pros and cons of hybrid open access are heavily disputed. A main point of discussion is whether ‘double dipping’ takes place, i.e. paying twice to publish and read the same article. To prove publishers’ assertions that they do not double dip, a survey was conducted of 24 publishers with detailed questions about their pricing policy using concrete examples. The outcome is quite sobering: the results range from partial double dipping to full double dipping, and in no instance did a ‘no double-dipping’ policy mean that no double dipping takes place.