5 Key Takeaways

• 1

  Open access publishing may create financial barriers for authors, shifting costs from readers to authors through article processing charges (APC).

• 2

  The disparity in APC costs can limit participation for researchers in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and unfunded investigators globally.

• 3

  Approximately 50% of surgical journals now operate under open or hybrid models, while major publishers report significant annual revenues.

• 4

  The Surgery Journal Editors Group recommends waiving APCs for authors from LMICs and minimizing fees for researchers without funding.

• 5

  Equitable access to publishing is crucial for scientific representation and patient care, as the current system risks a two-tier knowledge economy.