Academic Publishing, Internet Technology, and Disruptive Innovation

Abstract

After 350 years of operation, the academic journal publishing industry is imbalanced and in flux as a result of the impacts of Internet technology, which has led, over the past 20 years, to the rise of open access publishing. The introduction of open access journals, in the opinion of many researchers, is considered to be a case of disruptive innovation that is revolutionizing the industry. This article analyzes the traditional journal publishing system, the recent open access models of journal publishing as an evolving phenomenon, the nature and extent of open access as a disruptive innovation, and the implications for key stakeholders. The major finding is that open access publishing has gained traction because technology has contributed to lower publication costs, easier access to research articles, and speedier publishing processes. However, the threat posed by open access has not significantly impacted traditional publishers because of strategies employed by the major publishers and slow adoption of open access by some researchers