The True Cost of Running a Scientific Journal: A Practical Breakdown
A journal can appear inexpensive to launch online. Operating it properly is a different financial question.
Independent news and analysis on research and scholarly publishing — from JCF Corp.
11 November 2026Staff-reported · Editorially independent
Industry
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Who Controls Scientific Knowledge: Publishers, Universities or Researchers?
The person who writes a paper is not always the person who controls its final distribution. Contracts and licenses decide more than most readers realise.
Why Publishers Buy Existing Journals Instead of Starting New Ones
An established journal offers history and a research community, but buying a title also means inheriting its unresolved problems.
Small Publishers, Big Ambitions: The Changing Landscape of Scholarly Publishing
Big publishing groups have scale. Independent publishers can still build trust and specialist communities—but not by copying every large-publisher tactic.
How Much Is an Academic Journal Worth? Inside the Acquisition Market
When a journal is offered for sale, the asking price is rarely the whole story. Indexing, ownership rights and cash flow can change everything.
The Billion-Dollar Business of Academic Publishing: Where the Money Goes
Academic publishing is often described as a business built on unpaid peer review. The reality is more complicated—and worth examining.
Who Really Owns Academic Publishing? The Companies Behind the Journals
A journal’s masthead tells you who edits it. It may not tell you who controls its contracts, platforms and revenue.
Why Journal Discovery Is Becoming a Data Problem
Readers, librarians and AI tools now find journals through metadata, identifiers and holdings files, and gaps in that data make good journals hard to see.