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From Fees to Free: Comparing APC-Based and Diamond Open Access Journals in Engineering

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  • Luís Eduardo Pilatti

    (Postgraduate Program in Production Engineering, Ponta Grossa Campus, Federal University of Technology—Paraná (UTFPR), Ponta Grossa 84016-210, Brazil)

  • Luiz Alberto Pilatti

    (Postgraduate Program in Production Engineering, Ponta Grossa Campus, Federal University of Technology—Paraná (UTFPR), Ponta Grossa 84016-210, Brazil)

  • Gustavo Dambiski Gomes de Carvalho

    (Postgraduate Program in Production Engineering, Ponta Grossa Campus, Federal University of Technology—Paraná (UTFPR), Ponta Grossa 84016-210, Brazil)

  • Luis Mauricio Martins de Resende

    (Postgraduate Program in Production Engineering, Ponta Grossa Campus, Federal University of Technology—Paraná (UTFPR), Ponta Grossa 84016-210, Brazil)

Abstract

This study analyzes the impact of different Open Access (OA) publication models in engineering, comparing journals that charge Article Processing Charges (APCs) with those operating under the Diamond OA model. A total of 757 engineering OA journals, comprising 504 APC-based and 253 Diamond OA journals, were examined using bibliometric data from 2020 to 2023. The analysis focused on four key metrics: CiteScore, total citations, number of published articles, and the percentage of cited articles. The results indicate that APC-based journals dominate the upper quartiles (Q1 and Q2) regarding absolute citation counts, primarily driven by high-volume mega-journals such as IEEE Access. However, Diamond OA journals exhibit a higher proportion of cited articles (88.8% compared to 83.4% in APC-based journals) within the top 10% category. Despite their benefits in providing cost-free dissemination, Diamond OA journals account for only 8.4% of the 3012 active engineering journals indexed in Scopus, highlighting sustainability and visibility challenges. The findings suggest that, while APC-based journals achieve higher absolute citation counts, editorial reputation and visibility strategies significantly influence citation performance. This study contributes to the ongoing discussion on the financial sustainability and equity of OA publishing in engineering.

Suggested Citation

  • Luís Eduardo Pilatti & Luiz Alberto Pilatti & Gustavo Dambiski Gomes de Carvalho & Luis Mauricio Martins de Resende, 2025. "From Fees to Free: Comparing APC-Based and Diamond Open Access Journals in Engineering," Publications, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-12, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jpubli:v:13:y:2025:i:2:p:16-:d:1625374
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Fecher, Benedict & Wagner, Gert G., 2016. "Open Access, Innovation, and Research Infrastructure," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 4(2), pages 1-8.
    2. Daniela Filippo & Jorge Mañana-Rodríguez, 2020. "Open access initiatives in European universities: analysis of their implementation and the visibility of publications in the YERUN network," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 125(3), pages 2667-2694, December.
    3. Diana Hicks & Paul Wouters & Ludo Waltman & Sarah de Rijcke & Ismael Rafols, 2015. "Bibliometrics: The Leiden Manifesto for research metrics," Nature, Nature, vol. 520(7548), pages 429-431, April.
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