Go back

Journal Comparison Service: deadline for publisher registrations extended

24/03/2022

In the Summer of 2022, cOAlition S will launch the Journal Comparison Service (JCS), a secure online platform that will help registered users from the research community better understand if the publishing fees they pay are commensurate with the services delivered, and to gain better insight into the elements of those services. Ahead of this date, publishers will be invited to register with the JCS, sign the participation agreement and share their 2021 price and service data through the platform.

However, recognising that building and successfully adopting this new service requires sufficient time, and that review of the legal agreements will take some time for Publishers to consider, we will continue to accept publisher applications and their 2021 Price and Service data until the 31st October 2022.

During this period, we will work with the publishing community to explain the purpose of the JCS and answer any questions. We believe it is in the publishers’ own interest to participate in this service since their customers, purchasing services on behalf of the research community, are the ones asking for greater transparency. This is a good opportunity for publishers to create better awareness of their services, make customers and users realise the value they bring to the publishing process, and build greater trust between publishers and the academic community.

The information provided by participating publishers, using either of the cOAlition S-endorsed frameworks (Information Power framework,  FAIR Open Access Alliance framework), will be made accessible to registered users from library consortia and their members via the secure JCS service. Although individual researchers will not have direct access to this service, an integration with the Journal Checker Tool will allow them to see whether a journal has provided data to the JCS or not. Researchers who support the values of openness and transparency can use this information to determine where to submit their manuscripts.

In parallel with working with the publishing community, we will promote the service to library consortia and encourage them to register with the JCS. As library consortia are increasingly entering into transformative arrangements with publishers (Read and Publish, Subscribe to Open etc.), we will explore whether future agreements with publishers should include a requirement to share price and service data with the JCS.

Journal Comparison Service timeline summary

Date Activity
 

May 2022

  

Publisher portal goes live
 

May 2022 – 31st October 2022

  

In this period, publishers are encouraged to:

  • register with the JCS
  • sign the JCS Publisher participation agreement
  • deposit their 2021 Price and Service data in line with one of the approved Frameworks
 

September 2022

  

End User portal goes live. From this date, End Users (library consortia, their members and cOAlition S funders) are encouraged to:

  • register with the JCS
  • sign the JCS End User participation agreement
  • test the beta release of the JCS (with whatever data has been received by this date)
 

1st November 2022

  

Depositing of 2021 Price and Service data closes.

Formal release of the JCS service, offering Authorised Users access to the 2021 price and service data, for those journals/publishers who are participating in the service.
 

November 2022

  

The Journal Checker Tool is updated to indicate – at the journal level – whether a publisher is providing data to the JCS.
 

1st January 2023 – 31st October 2023

  

Publishers to provide 2022 price and service data.

Publishers who have not provided data previously will be able to register for an account, sign the Publisher participation agreement and provide data for 2022.

Note: 2021 data will be also be accepted; method to be determined.
 

1st January 2024 – 31st October 2024

  

Publishers to provide 2023 price and service data.

Publishers who have not provided data previously will be able to register for an account, sign the Publisher participation agreement and provide data for 2023.

Note: 2021 and 2022 data will be also be accepted; method to be determined.

 

Further information

Any questions about the JCS can be directed to Robert Kiley at robert.kiley@coalition-s.org.