Publish or Perish, Pay or Perish: The CJI and the Economics of Research

Abstract

The financial burden of academic publishing, which includes rising Article Processing Charges (APCs) and institutional subscription fees, poses a critical concern to the equity and sustainability of global research. As such, this paper introduces the Costly Journals Index (CJI). The CJI is a new composite index intended to assess the cost and/or expenditure dimension that a researcher and/or institution incurs when publishing specific research. The CJI integrates three pieces of normalized information on Median APC, Subscription Price Index, and Open Access Share, which is further normalized to the quality of the journal as measured by Average Impact Factor. An evaluative analysis of publishing trends from 2020 to 2025 shows that although there is a gradual, steady increase towards open access, the overall cost of publishing remains exceedingly high. The CJI is built on the premise that cost is a poor indicator of measuring impact. The development of the CJI enables institutions, funders, and policymakers to assess, negotiate, and advocate for publishing reforms to eliminate inequity and improve the accessibility of scholarly communication.