Development-focused research funders and APCs: Publication data and calculations

INASP commissioned Research Consulting to analyse development-focused research and publication patterns,
focusing on open access to academic journal articles and the economic cost of article publication charges (APCs).

The data was sourced from Dimensions, an inter-linked research information system provided by Digital Science.

The primary objectives were to:

1. Assess the volume of research publications supported by major development funders.
2. Determine the proportion of these publications that are open access.
3. Estimate the economic burden of APCs on development-focused research funders.

The analysis included data from 2014 to 2024, focusing on publications aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The study identified plausible assumptions about publication patterns and estimated APC costs.

We used Dimensions’ filters to identify articles associated with the SDGs, classify research funders, and explore Open Access rates.

The specific requirements of the study required additional custom searches and the manual removal of duplicates,
on which we consulted with the Digital Science team.

Findings:

• Development-focused funders support a smaller volume of research compared to larger national and not-for-profit funders.
• Gold and Hybrid Open Access are the primary mechanisms for achieving open access.
• The estimated economic cost of APCs for development research funders in 2023 was $4.03 million, with potential reductions if waivers were accessed.

The analysis highlights the significant investment in open access by development-focused funders and the economic challenges posed by APCs.

The full paper from INASP uses this analysis as the starting point for exploring a range of open access policy options
for development research funders.