The International Consortium for the Advancement of Academic Publication — An Idea Whose Time Has Come (Finally!)
Published in Learned Publishing, Volume 17, Number 4, 2004
Abstract
The scholarly communication process is undergoing rapid change. Traditional systems dominated by commercial publishers have produced rising costs, restricted access, and a crisis of sustainability. This article introduces the International Consortium for the Advancement of Academic Publication (ICAAP), founded at Athabasca University as a not-for-profit, low-cost publishing model designed to counter these trends:contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}.
Key Points
- Crisis in scholarly publishing: escalating journal costs, declining library subscriptions, and threats to knowledge dissemination.
- ICAAP’s mission: provide a sustainable, low-cost, scholar-led alternative using electronic publishing, open-source software, and SGML/XML technologies.
- Middle way model: ICAAP retains traditional scholarly journals and peer review, but removes reliance on profit-driven commercial presses.
- Economic potential: ICAAP demonstrates that entire institutional research presses could be run for a fraction of the cost of commercial publishing, allowing free global access.
- Challenges: resistance from established funding models (e.g., SSHRC’s subscription requirements), low circulation niche journals with limited cash flow, and professional disincentives for scholars to assume editorial roles.
The article concludes that if enough institutions adopt ICAAP’s model, commercial scholarly publishing could be fundamentally transformed, making high-quality research universally accessible at minimal cost.
Recommended citation: Sosteric, Mike. (2004). "The International Consortium for the Advancement of Academic Publication — An Idea Whose Time Has Come (Finally!)." *Learned Publishing*, 17(4), 319–325. https://doi.org/10.1087/0953151042321644
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