Why I think ending article-processing charges will save open access

Juan Pablo Alperin, Associate Professor at Simon Fraser University and co-Scientific Director of the Public Knowledge Project, explains how the global north paying for publishing hampers public, scholar-led efforts in Latin America. He argues that if governments, funders and institutions — including those in Latin America — do not want to be responsible for dismantling this diverse and global scholarly OA ecosystem, they should stop supporting APCs altogether. Funds that are allocated to APCs should be invested in shared infrastructure, tools and services that can support multiple journals simultaneously.