From Traditional Journals to Open Platforms: Towards a Public Network of Scientific Publishing?

Abstract

he current system of scientific communication, dominated by commercial academic journals and author-pays publishing models (APCs), faces increasing concerns over economic sustainability, equity of access, and editorial quality. This paper offers a critical analysis of the traditional model’s limitations and explores emerging proposals for transitioning towards a public, open, and equitable publishing ecosystem. Three complementary approaches are discussed: the redesign of journal funding through competitive public grants (Leopoldina model), the transformation of repositories into professional publishing platforms (Ortega’s proposal), and the creation of federated, community-driven open infrastructures (as proposed by Brembs et al.). Drawing from the Spanish context, the paper assesses the feasibility of establishing a national network of diamond open access journals by leveraging existing policies, infrastructures, and public investment. It concludes that such a transition is not only desirable but feasible, and represents a strategic opportunity to reclaim academic control over scholarly publishing in alignment with the principles of open science.