Das Argument, dass diese oder jene Zeitschrift eine Fachgesellschaft finanzieren würde, fällt häufiger, wenn es darum geht, eine Zeitschrift OA zu stellen. Die passende Antwort hat Mike Taylor im Guardian formuliert:
But this paywalled journal’s subscription fees fund its scholarly society …
No. This is the tail wagging the dog. The purpose of a scholarly society is to promote scholarship, which is best done by making that scholarship available. A society that cares more about preserving its own budget than about the field it supposedly supports has lost its way. Societies need to find other ways to fund their activities. And yes, I am talking to you, Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (my own field’s society). You cannot support the science of vertebrate palaeontology by taking science and hiding it where most people can’t see it.
Mir ist so, als hätte ich das aus dem Bibliothekswesen auch schon das eine oder andere Mal vernommen.