Beginning January 2026, all ACM publications will be made open access (dl.acm.org)

Article summary

The ACM will make all its publications open access starting January 2026, a move that has been long awaited by some members who had dropped their subscriptions due to the paywall. The change is seen as a significant step towards increasing access to scientific knowledge. However, the financial implications of this move, including the introduction of Article Processing Charges (APCs), are still being discussed. The ACM's archive of past publications will also be made available, although the extent of this is not entirely clear.

Main themes

• Open access publishing
• ACM publications
• Article Processing Charges
• Scientific knowledge sharing
• Academic publishing business models

What commenters say

• The introduction of open access publishing by the ACM is a long overdue move that will increase access to scientific knowledge and potentially lead to more collaboration and innovation.
• The use of Article Processing Charges (APCs) as a funding model for open access publishing may create barriers for researchers from lower-income countries and institutions, potentially exacerbating existing inequalities.
• The shift to open access publishing may lead to a focus on quantity over quality, as publishers are incentivized to publish more papers rather than prioritizing the quality of the research.
• Some argue that the market will self-regulate and that low-quality publications will be weeded out as readers and authors vote with their feet, while others believe that the current system is broken and that new models are needed to prioritize quality over quantity.
• The financial burden of APCs may fall on institutions and researchers, potentially leading to increased costs and administrative burdens, and some argue that alternative models, such as funding based on the value of the research, could be more effective.
• The current system of academic publishing is flawed, and new models are needed to prioritize quality, accessibility, and fairness, rather than profit and prestige.