Research Article

Values and Viability, Principles and Practice: A Survey of Journal Editors’ Decision-Making Factors

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Abstract

Introduction: This study examines how journal editors and decision-makers balance values-based commitments to open access (OA) with the practical constraints they face when selecting publishers and publishing models.

Methods: In spring 2024, a survey was distributed via professional networks to scholarly journal editors. 117 responses were collected across a range of journal disciplines, publisher types, and access models. Follow-up semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 participants.

Results: Editors reported that subscription revenue, especially for society-owned journals, is critical for sustaining publications and wider society activities, limiting willingness to transition to fully OA models. Across the sample, disciplinary prevalence of OA was a stronger predictor of how important OA capabilities were in publisher choice than individual editor values. Respondents placed high importance on both editorial autonomy and production and technical support.

Discussion: The findings suggest that economic dependencies and disciplinary norms frequently outweigh values-based decision making. Editors view eliminating article processing charges and securing reliable production support as more compelling incentives to change publishers than the promise of OA alone. Library- and other academy-owned publishers must therefore match or exceed commercial service levels while offering partnership models that preserve journal identity and society sustainability.

Conclusion: This study has implications for library publishers, scholarly societies, and other noncommercial publishing initiatives by highlighting the specific conditions under which editors are willing to consider new partnerships. Understanding discipline-specific needs and/or current experiences with publishers may help publishers to attract and onboard journals to academy-owned platforms and to develop strategies for collective action with new centralized service models.

Keywords: library publishing, scholarly societies, open access, journal editors, journal publishing

How to Cite:

Wilson, M.E. (2026). Values and Viability, Principles and Practice: A Survey of Journal Editors’ Decision Making Factors. Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication, 14(1), eP24524. https://doi.org/10.31274/jlsc.24524 

Rights:

© 2026 The Author(s). License: CC BY 4.0