GoKawiilStudy finds 440 diamond open-access journals dropped free model since 2009
A preprint led by Lisa Matthias at Humboldt University of Berlin tracked 440 academic journals that began as diamond open-access, meaning free for both authors and readers, but later shifted to charging fees between 2009 and 2026. Most of these titles, 369, moved to gold open access with article-processing charges, 52 adopted hybrid models, and 19 became fully paywalled, with fees ranging from $8 to $5,300 depending on publisher type.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Diamond open access has long been championed as a way to make research freely available without burdening authors or readers with costs, so this erosion signals financial strain on institutions and non-profits that fund it. The trend, which the researchers say accelerated after 2020 and peaked in 2025, raises concerns about equitable access to scholarly publishing as more journals lean on fees that can disadvantage under-resourced researchers.
- 440 journals shifted away from the free diamond open-access model between 2009 and 2026.
- Article-processing charges introduced by these journals ranged from $8 to $5,300, varying by publisher type.
- The shift away from diamond open access has accelerated since 2020, with 2025 showing the highest number of changes recorded.
Source: nature.com — Singh Chawla, 2026-09-22
Published there as: “Hundreds of ‘free’ academic journals have started charging fees”
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