The crisis in academic publishing, along with its various sub-crises (the replication crisis, the procurement crisis, the AI-driven transformation of research, etc.), remains a topic of widespread debate. However, high article processing charges (APCs), oligopolistic publishing structures, and the dominance of reputation-based journals continue to shape scholarly publishing.
Fortunately, there has recently been a growing number of initiatives that go beyond merely diagnosing the problem and develop concrete solutions in the form of new infrastructure offerings. The ideal that many within the scientific community could agree on would be a resilient and decentralized publication infrastructure designed by scientists for scientists, one that takes into account the heterogeneity of the scientific landscape and disciplinary cultures while also providing financial relief. While the Chinese Academy of Sciences is taking initial action and deliberately ceasing to pay publication fees for certain international OA journals using academic funds and grants from the central government (thanks to Anne Krüger for this reference), a promising alternative is now emerging in Europe:
The open-access publishing platform Open Research Europe (ORE), which until now has been available only to beneficiaries of EU research framework programs, will be available free of charge starting this fall to all researchers working at German research institutions, regardless of whether they receive project funding. This is made possible by a consortium of research and funding organizations from eleven European countries, which will support the publishing platform starting this year. The contractual partner on the German side is the BMFTR, while the DFG is responsible for implementing the project at the national level.
For WI researchers, this will likely result in two concrete opportunities starting in the fall of 2026:
- Open-Access Publishing Free of Charge for All Disciplines
ORE offers a free of charge alternative to the often prohibitive APCs charged by commercial publishers. Since the platform covers all academic disciplines, researchers in the social sciences, natural sciences, humanities, and beyond can publish their findings without financial barriers. This is particularly relevant given that the open-access transformation is still stalling in many areas. While some disciplines already rely heavily on preprint servers or Diamond OA journals, other fields still lack sustainable, non-commercial publication channels. ORE could fill this gap without the usual reputation mechanisms often tied to expensive journals.
As the DFG emphasizes, with ORE, “academic prestige is not generated by the journal’s name, but by the scientific content of the individual publications and the assurance of high-quality processes at infrastructure level” (DFG, ifr-26-21). For researchers who wish to break free from the logic of impact factors, this likely offers an attractive opportunity to make high-quality research visible.
- Active Participation: Peer Review and Community Building
ORE is not only a publishing platform but also a community-driven project. Researchers can get involved as reviewers: an opportunity to help shape the platform’s academic quality while showcasing their own expertise. Although, as with most publishers, peer review is most likely unpaid, the activity can be listed on an academic CV as a commitment to open science. Additionally, it offers networking opportunities with colleagues from various countries and disciplines. Those who get involved early on can, in the best-case scenario, actively help shape the development of a vital infrastructure for the future of scholarly publishing.
ORE could be an important step toward reforming the publishing system. It is therefore worth keeping an eye on its development and even getting involved early on.