The Costly Journals Index: An Importance for Future Research

International Journal of Inventive Engineering and Sciences (IJIES) ISSN: 2319-9598 (Online), Volume-12 Issue-11, November 2025 32 Published By: Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP) © Copyright: All rights reserved. Retrieval Number: 100.1/ijies.K113112111125 DOI: 10.35940/ijies.K1131.12111125 Journal Website: www.ijies.org The Costly Journals Index: An Importance for Future Research V Ajay Sarma, G Thippanna, R Nagesh, B Chandra Sekhar Abstract: Increased charging from publishers and access points to databases like Scopus, Web of Science, and even PubMed is bound to change the economic dynamics of information dissemination and its affordability. The Costly Journals Index (CJI) is introduced in the article as a method for determining the costs to authors and their institutions of publishing. It integrates quantitative and qualitative analysis of themes such as article processing, subscriptions, author payments, and university budgets worldwide. The study of these dimensions reveals inequities, academics' participation and contributions, and/or shifts in the research's focus. The author analyses the relationship between the cost of publishing research and its impact. The research showed that greater results are not tied to higher publishing costs. The author reviews the implications of such a study for future research, for research on academic publishing, for the CJI's impact on open access, and for the effects of the Nepotism Index in academic discourse. It emphasises the need to balance equity and prestige and to regulate inequitable access while sustaining the heterogeneity, originality, and authenticity of the research. The primary objectives are to broaden access to research for all, not just the privileged, and to inspire more publishers to/adopt such a model. Keywords: Expensive Index of Journals, Open Index of Journals, Impact Factor Regarding the Journals. Nomenclature: CJI: Costly Journals Index I. INTRODUCTION There is no doubt that academics value research papers. They serve to exchange new ideas, build collaborations, instil confidence in academic endeavours, and improve reasoning and writing skills. Moreover, the dissemination of research findings leads to new ideas, socially relevant public policies, new funding opportunities, and career advancement. Current research practices enable individuals and institutions to obtain and retain critical scholarly information. This practice Manuscript received on 25 October 2025 | Revised Manuscript received on 07 November 2025 | Manuscript Accepted on 15 November 2025 | Manuscript published on 30 November 2025. *Correspondence Author(s) V Ajay Sarma, Assistant Professor, Department of CSE, Dr KV Subbareddy Institute of Technology, Opp. Dupadu Railway Station, Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh), India. Email ID: [email protected] Dr. G Thippanna*, Professor, Department of CSE – AIML, Dr KV Subbareddy Institute of Technology, Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh), India. Email ID: [email protected], ORCID ID: 0009-0009-6964-246X R Nagesh, Assistant Professor, Department of CSE -AIML, Dr KV Subbareddy Institute of Technology, Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh), India. Email ID: [email protected] Dr. B Chandra Sekhar, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, St. Joseph’s Degree College, Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh), India. Email ID: chandra002[email protected]om © The Authors. Published by Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open-access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ is, in many instances, tied to one’s financial capacity. For academics, universities, and libraries in lowand middleincome regions of the world, the rising costs of journal subscriptions and publishing pose significant challenges, calling into question the global systems of equity and sustainability in scholarly publishing. Financial resources continue to shape the publishing research environment and the accessibility of knowledge. The Costley Journals Index can help institutions, funding bodies, and policymakers in decisions on journal subscriptions, publisher negotiations, and open-access alternatives [1][2]. Most importantly, the Index stimulates discourse on publishing ethics and the need to build equity into research systems. The Costley Journals Index highlights the need for future research to achieve a balance between high-quality research and low cost. It also highlights the need for a focus on the economics of scholarly communication. A. Effect on Upcoming Studies i. Improved ways for Measuring Educational Equity: Research sponsors, academic institutions, and government officials can quickly identify if the current publication system unfairly benefits researchers and institutions with more funding. The academic sector can set the best assessment norms that promote open access and cheaper publication options, but CJI does not like that. ii. Implications for Policy ▪Funding organizations may reevaluate their grant programs and explore collecting publication costs, especially for academics from lowand middleincome nations. ▪Publishers may face pressure to provide flexible pricing, affordable options, or exemptions for researchers with limited budgets [3]. ▪Universities may modify their tenure or promotion standards to include a broader range of periodicals. This consists of those having a high impact or an excellent reputation, as well as those that are simple to use and inexpensive. iii. Promoting Open Access and Other Publishing Options. The CJI can support the establishment of open-access journals, preprint archives, and institutional repositories, or even the Diamond/Platinum OA models in which authors pay no fees. It can demonstrate that high costs do not necessarily mean greater impact and might encourage more people to adopt these alternatives. iv. Illustrating the Negative Consequences of Funding Biases. The most expensive journals tend to come from wealthy countries, and this can lead to the publication of less representative material The Costly Journals Index: An Importance for Future Research 33 Published By: Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP) © Copyright: All rights reserved. Retrieval Number: 100.1/ijies.K113112111125 DOI: 10.35940/ijies.K1131.12111125 Journal Website: www.ijies.org or even the omission of citations. CJI can help illuminate the consequences of these biases and encourage future research that might examine the language, economic, and geographic factors that bias research globally [9]. v. Promoting Openness and Data-Driven Change. Publishing and sharing standard data costs, indexing status, acceptance rates, and citation impact will become essential. The CJI framework should encourage publishers and journals to be more willing to provide this data. vi. Helping to improve publication decisions that earlycareer researchers with limited financial resources encounter would be beneficial to CJI. The realization that high priced work does not correlate with greater focus or respect may help alter the pervasive view that work should be financed. vii. Long-Term Consequences on the Spread of Knowledge. CJI can advocate for more accessible systems to reduce the long-term consequences of high prices on the publication and reading of material, including stagnating scientific progress, increasing inequality, and narrowing academic discourse. II. LITERATURE SURVEY What follows is a brief literature review, organized by country and region, that highlights significant findings and changes with respect to policies and literature concerning journal costs [7]; transitions to open access, APCs and waivers, and subscriptions by libraries. I considered all the major parts of the globe — North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Oceania — as well as Canada. For each country, I document: (a) principal issues that have emerged in the literature, (b) an illustrative policy, initiative, or piece of research, and (c) a brief note on how it connects with a Costly Journals Index (CJI). A. United States (USA) i. Debate over high subscription and APC costs; moves to limit publisher charges for publicly funded research. ii. Libraries continuing to cancel “big deal” packages while negotiating transformative agreements. ▪ Representative Items iii. NIH announced a policy to cap publisher fees for federally funded research (effective FY2026), aimed at controlling APCs. iv. Periodicals price surveys show commercial publishers continue to charge much higher average prices per journal than university presses. v. CJI implication: USA policy shifts (e.g., fee caps) are likely to affect the global APC market and would be a significant factor in any CJI weighting for policy pressure and price controls. B. United Kingdom & European Union (UK / EU) i. Strong policy push for open access (Plan S influence across the EU). ii. National negotiations and transformative agreements (read-and-publish) dominate the literature. ▪ Representative Items iii. Germany’s Project DEAL and other national transformative agreements are often cited as a model (or cautionary example) for large-scale national deals with publishers. ▪ CJI Implication: European country indicators for CJI should include the presence/absence of national transformative agreements and the percentage of publications covered by “read & publish” deals. C. Germany i. Early and high-profile adoption of transformative agreements (Project DEAL). ii. Focus on shifting payments from subscription to OA publishing via large contracts. ▪ Representative Item iii. Projekt DEAL agreements with major publishers (e.g., Elsevier) to support OA publishing for German authors. ▪ CJI Implication: Germany’s policy reduces some access barriers domestically but may shift costs (and reporter metrics). CJI should measure net public cost vs. openness achieved. D. India (South Asia) i. Active debate about national subscription strategies (e.g., “One Nation One Subscription”) and affordability for the large, diverse higher-education sector. ii. Community publishing and open-access advocacy are strong, but APCs still face financial challenges. ▪ Representative Item: According to critical evaluations, India's "One Nation One Subscription" might increase public spending and benefit publishers, but it offers a slight advantage for widespread access. ▪ CJI Implication: Equity measures (per-researcher cost, coverage, and distributional implications) should be included in CJI for nations with large populations and numerous institutions. E. China (East Asia) Increasing publishing capability at home, conflicting views on open access, and lively editorial debates on the shift to open access. i. There is a national goal to increase research outputs, but different universities face different publication categories [3]. ▪ Representative Item: Research and surveys of editors examine the editorial positions of Chinese journals on open access and the adoption rate. ▪ Implications for CJI: China's CJI component should capitalise on the rise in domestic publishing, national incentives, and the growing share of foreign subscribers. F. Latin America and Brazil Concerns regarding the absence of waivers or discounts from international publishers for middle-income nations, the lack of a robust regional openaccess infrastructure (SciELO, Redalyc), and lower APC International Journal of Inventive Engineering and Sciences (IJIES) ISSN: 2319-9598 (Online), Volume-12 Issue-11, November 2025 34 Published By: Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP) © Copyright: All rights reserved. Retrieval Number: 100.1/ijies.K113112111125 DOI: 10.35940/ijies.K1131.12111125 Journal Website: www.ijies.org levels compared to several high-income countries. ▪ Representative Items i. According to studies, average APCs in Brazil are far lower than those elsewhere (for instance, around USD 250 compared to USD 840 globally), and access and waiver issues are noted. ▪ CJI Implication: Latin American nations that use regional OA platforms tend to have higher access-perdollar scores; hence, CJI should incorporate a "regional OA infrastructure" component. G. Sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa i. Library funding is limited; open access is expanding, but there is no coordination of national OA policies. ii. The literature emphasizes the creation of national policies, exemption access, and capacity building. iii. Representative topic iv. Evaluations of open access in South Africa indicate long-term structural barriers to its expansion and the lack of a single national OA strategy. ▪ Implications of CJI: CJI should include proportional access measures (per capita researcher access), discount rules, and the availability of exemptions in low-resource areas. H. Australia & New Zealand (Oceania) i. There is a national debate on financial reallocation to open access models and the high institutional cost to large publishers. ii. National science leadership's recommendations for developing easily navigable national open access platforms. ▪ Representative Item iii. Reports and commentary noting ~USD $1B annually spent by Australian institutions on major commercial publishers and advocacy for a world-first national OA library. ▪ CJI Implication: Australia is an instructive example of high public spending; for CJI, include total national institutional spending as a primary indicator. I. Canada i. Mixed progress on OA; institutions negotiating transformative agreements and supporting diamond OA projects. ii. Library surveys show subscription declines are gradual and OA share is slowly increasing. ▪ Representative Item iii. Reviews and institutional reports outline the OA landscape and the gradual decline in subscription-only articles. ▪ Implications for CJI: Based on Canada's history, CJI needs to take institutional negotiation results and the proportion of articles that have been rendered open access over time into account. J. International and Cross-National Synthesis i. International research highlights that market concentration (a few major commercial publishers) causes high average pricing, that exemptions are implemented inconsistently, and that APCs vary greatly. ii. Price surveys and synthesis reports demand "fair pricing" for public access as well as openness on publisher expenses. K. Representative Items i. Periodic price surveys and synthesis reports that detail publication pricing, cost per citation, and demands for open cost models. ▪ Implications of CJI: The following elements should be included in a strong CJI: (1) average journal subscription costs per nation (or consortium); (2) accessibility of APCs and waivers; (3) OA output share; (4) national policy levers (caps/transformative agreements); and (5) institutional expenditures per researcher. L. Research Approach The CJI assesses the financial burden academics face when publishing their work, in relation to the quality and accessibility of the journal. It helps to determine how equitable and sustainable the global publishing environment is, taking into account both open-access [5] trends and the rising costs of publishing and subscriptions. An examination of the publications from 2020 to 2025 trends in: i. Article Processing Charges (APCs) ii. Subscription Price Index [4] iii. Open Access (OA) Share iv. Average Impact Factor [8] v. CJI (Costly Journals Index) The analysis highlights that while open access increases, the costs for authors [6] and institutions continue to rise, keeping scholarly publishing overall expensive. A comprehensive, self-contained data delivery (2020– 2025) is provided below, including two graphs, tables, and a brief explanation of the methodology and results. Table I: Journal Publishing Subscription for the Year 2020-2025 Year Median APC (USD) Subscription Price Index (Base 100=2020) Open Access Share (%) Average Impact Factor Costly Journals Index (CJI) 2020 2,500 100 28 3.00 26.99 2021 2,800 104 33 3.05 28.20 2022 2,648 108 36 3.10 27.04 2023 2,700 113 38 3.15 27.15 2024 2,850 117 40 3.18 27.87 2025 2,950 124 42 3.20 28.62 APC_norm = median APC / max (APC across years) Sub_norm = subscription price index / max (index across years) OA_norm = OA share / 100 CJI_raw = 0.5 * APC_norm + 0.3 * Sub_norm + 0.2 * (1 - OA_norm) CJI = (CJI_raw / Avg_Impact_Factor) * 100 The Costly Journals Index: An Importance for Future Research 35 Published By: Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP) © Copyright: All rights reserved. Retrieval Number: 100.1/ijies.K113112111125 DOI: 10.35940/ijies.K1131.12111125 Journal Website: www.ijies.org Table II: Various Processors to Pay for Journal Publication Variable Description Impact on Costliness Median APC (USD) The average fee authors pay to publish open-access articles. ↑ Higher APC = More costly publishing. Subscription Price Index Represents institutional library subscription costs (base 100 = 2020). ↑ Higher index = More expensive journal access. Open Access Share (%) Percentage of articles available freely. ↓ More OA = Lower cost barriers. Average Impact Factor Journal quality proxy (citations per paper). ↓ Higher impact = Better value per cost. CJI (Costly Journals Index) Composite score of overall publishing costliness, adjusted for accessibility and impact. ↑ Higher CJI = Greater financial burden. Graph 1: APC and Subscription Price Trends During 2020-2025 Graph 2: Costly Journals Index (CJI) Trend During 2020-2025 Graph 3: Open Access and Impact Factor Trend During 2020-2025 III. CONCLUSION Due to subscription-based publication, institutions and academics face ____. An example of the limited access to scientific knowledge is the publication deficit between 2020 and 2025 and the consistently increasing rates. This increased tendency underscores the need for strategic journal selection, funding rationalisation, and the promotion of open access publishing. Research on organisations that support the CJI can be facilitated. This is the first instance of the CJI addressing the pressures on academic publishing finances and the need to guide on maintaining the public availability of quality research. It is a tool of business and education for both the CJI and the publishers. The CJI addresses the need for publishers to suggest alternative publishing options, facilitate publishing in the journals they manage, and increase publishing revenues to the inst. and to help them manage publishing costs. The CJI explains the economics of academic knowledge disseminated through their suggested publishing options. Highly indexed, costly, citable journals that control access to research and expertise are anathema to academics in developing countries because they impose limits on access in relation to publication costs presented to institutes. This also emphasises the hiding of work with scientific value when it is not published in a popular journal. That recognition and publication determine the academic worth of the researcher. DECLARATION STATEMENT After aggregating input from all authors, I must verify the accuracy of the following information as the article's author. ▪ Conflicts of Interest/ Competing Interests: Based on my understanding, this article has no conflicts of interest. ▪ Funding Support: This article has not been funded by any organizations or agencies. This independence ensures that the research is conducted with objectivity and without any external influence. ▪ Ethical Approval and Consent to Participate: The content of this article does not necessitate ethical approval or consent to participate with supporting documentation. ▪ Data Access Statement and Material Availability: The adequate resources of this article are publicly accessible. ▪ Authors' Contributions: The authorship of this article is contributed equally to all participating individuals. REFERENCES 1. Ángel Borrego, Article processing charges for open access journal publishing: A review, 03 July 2023, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/leap.1558. 2. Sarita Gulati, Atasi Sinhababu, & Rupak Chakravarty, Article Processing Charges in Gold Open Access Journals: An Empirical Study, 18 Aug 2023, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15424065.2023.2243801. 3. Dr G. Thippanna, Publication of Different Journals and their Significance in Categorical Indices, Journal of Data Structures and Computing, Double Blind Peer Reviewed Journal Volume-1 | Issue-2| Jul-Dec-2024, DOI: https://doi.org/10.48001/JoDSC 4. Yonghong An, Michael A. Williams, Mo Xiao. The Cost of Knowledge: Academic Journal Pricing and Research Dissemination. January 2024, DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4691124 5. Yonghong An, Michael A. Williams, and Mo Xiao, The Cost of Knowledge: Academic Journal Pricing and Research Dissemination. International Journal of Inventive Engineering and Sciences (IJIES) ISSN: 2319-9598 (Online), Volume-12 Issue-11, November 2025 36 Published By: Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP) © Copyright: All rights reserved. Retrieval Number: 100.1/ijies.K113112111125 DOI: 10.35940/ijies.K1131.12111125 Journal Website: www.ijies.org 6. Wilhelm Peekhaus, Nicholas Proferes, How Library and Information Science Faculty Perceive and engage with open access, 01 October 2015, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0165551515587855. 7. John W. Houghton, Charles Oppenheim. The Economic Implications of Alternative Publishing Models, in 2019, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08109021003676359. 8. Björk, B.-C., & Solomon, D. (2015). Article processing charges in OA journals: Relationship between price, country, publisher, and journal impact. BMC Medicine, 13, 230. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-015-0454-3 9. https://www.highwirepress.com/blog/the-economics-of-open-accessensuring-sustainable-publishing/ in 2023 on The Economics of Open Access: Ensuring Sustainable Publishing. AUTHOR’S PROFILES Mr. Vanam Ajay Sarma is working as an Assistant Professor in K.V. Subba Reddy Institute of Technology, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. He completed his M. Tech with First Class and Distinction from Pullaiah College of Engineering and Technology, Kurnool. He has presented a conference paper on “Energy Storage System using Digital Twins with AI and IoT.”. He has good teaching experience and has participated in several seminars, workshops, and faculty development programs. His areas of interest are not specific, but he has substantial knowledge in Discrete Mathematics, Object-Oriented Programming through Java, C Programming, DBMS, SQL, and Computer Networks. Dr. G. Tippanna, Professor, of CSE - AIML, Dr KV Subbareddy Institute of Technology, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. He received his PhD in CS & T in 2016 with the thesis “Efficient approach for image encryption and compression using symmetric cryptography techniques” from Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, India. He has 17 years of teaching experience in various institutions. He has attended several national and international seminars, workshops, FDPs, and conferences since 2012. He has published more than 80 papers in national and international journals in various fields, especially in image processing, AI, and big data technologies. 5 PhDs have been awarded, and 3 PhDs are underway under his guidance. I don't have any particular areas of interest, but I try to learn as much as I can. But I have mainly taught subjects in Big Data Technologies, Image Processing, Operating Systems, Computer Networks, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science, Cryptography, Network Security, and Software Engineering. R. Nagesh, Assistant Professor of CSE, in Dr K. V. Subbareddy Institute of Technology, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. I have 9 years of teaching experience across different institutions, teaching subjects including software engineering, computer networks, object-oriented programming, database management systems, advanced data structures, algorithms and analysis, operating systems, Intelligence, information retrieval systems, etc. Dr. B. Chandra Sekhar, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, working in St. Joseph’s Degree College, Kurnool. Received a PhD award from GITAM University, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India, in March 2025. Did a PhD in Fluid dynamics and has over 17 years of teaching experience at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. With active research experience, I have attended conferences, presented papers and published several research papers in reputed international journals. Research interests focus on MHD flows, Nano fluids through porous media, and thermal engineering applications. Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of the Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP)/ journal and/or the editor(s). The Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP) and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.