How is the situation of companies and especially online publishing houses that scientific authors work for?
Brilliant! The three remaining major players have nicely developed the market and divided it up among themselves. Authors and reviewers don‘t get paid, and they have no choice but to publish or perish. Research libraries across the globe are a guaranteed, “inflexible” market. They also don‘t have a choice. When publishers go online-only, they also eliminate the cost of printing and distribution. Whereas raising prices in other markets will lead customers to buy from a competitor, here it leads to competitors raising their prices as well. Whatever they say, companies don‘t want perfect markets. They all hate the Microsoft and Elsevier – but only because they envy them for their monopolistic position. How did this “brilliant” situation come about? It started from what Merton called “recognition and esteem which … is roughly commensurate with the significance of the increments brought to the common fund of knowledge.” How to measure and allocate recognition commensurate with the achiev
