Beyond article processing charges: An efficiency-integrity-sustainability framework for open access publishing

Open access (OA) publishing has significantly increased access to scientific knowledge, but its main funding models encounter increasing financial, operational, and equity challenges. The long term sustainability is threatened by the increase in article processing charges (APCs), Very weak diamond OA models, increasing market concentration, and predatory publishing incentives. In this paper, an Efficiency-Integrity-Sustainability (EIS) framework is proposed for evaluating and improving the open access publishing systems. The framework incorporates measurable indicators of operational efficiency, research integrity, and financial sustainability, while underlining the importance of predictive analytics, editorial intelligence, and data-driven decision-making. This paper showcases how AI-powered workflow management, transparent pricing, flexible APC models, and diversified revenue streams can improve publishing performance without compromising on quality or equity. A stakeholder roadmap is provided for publishers, libraries, universities, funders, and researchers to enable implementation of the EIS model. The paper argues that the future of OA relies not only on funding overhauls but also on the strategic use of data analytics and operational intelligence to build a publishing ecosystem that is efficient, trustworthy, equitable and resilient.