{"id":660,"date":"2023-03-28T15:05:08","date_gmt":"2023-03-28T13:05:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.opencost.de\/das-projekt-english\/"},"modified":"2025-11-18T13:48:46","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T12:48:46","slug":"project","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/opencost.de\/news\/en\/project\/","title":{"rendered":"Project"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

openCost: Automated, standardized delivery and open provision of publication costs and publishing agreements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Within the scope of openCost we are creating a technical infrastructure that allows us to comprehensively record all costs involved in scientific publishing and subsequently make them freely accessible by means of standardized interfaces. This is supposed to enable cost transparency<\/strong> on an institutional, national, and international level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First project phase (2022 \u2013 2025)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To this end, we developed metadata schema<\/strong> to record the publication costs of a scientific institution in a structured form and exchange them via OAI-PMH. In addition to OA publication charges (APCs), this also includes costs from transformative agreements. Moreover, the schema also covers additional costs such as color and page charges or processing fees that have often not been taken into account to date. Via OAI-PMH, service providers (e.g. aggregators and research funders) can harvest publication costs directly from the institutions. Within the framework of openCost, this was implemented using the OpenAPC<\/a> service at Bielefeld University Library as an example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n View the schema\n <\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

In addition, the Electronic Journals Library<\/a> (EZB) has been expanded to include functions for displaying publication information<\/strong>. With the new functions, expected publication costs as well as information on their acquisition can be displayed transparently at journal level. This helps researchers to weigh up different publication options in a cost-conscious manner. Library staff also benefit from the extension, as they can easily provide and maintain information on funding options . The EZB can thus be used as a central information platform<\/strong> for communicating open access information to researchers.<\/p>\n\n\n