Estimated costs of

Background: ​ ​​The​ ​Gordon ​ ​and​ ​Betty​ ​Moore ​ ​Foundation​ ​(GBMF) ​ ​was ​ ​interested ​ ​in understanding​ ​the​ ​potential ​ ​effects​ ​of ​ ​a​ ​policy​ ​requiring​ ​open​ ​access​ ​to​ ​peer-reviewed publications​ ​resulting​ ​from​ ​ the​ ​research​ ​the​ ​foundation​ ​funds. ​ ​​Methods: ​ ​​We​ ​collected ​ ​data​ ​on more​ ​than​ ​2000​ ​publications ​ ​in​ ​over​ ​500​ ​journals​ ​that​ ​were​ ​generated ​ ​by​ ​GBMF ​ ​grantees​ ​since 2001.​ ​We​ ​then​ ​examined ​ ​the​ ​journal​ ​policies ​ ​to​ ​establish​ ​how ​ ​two​ ​possible​ ​open​ ​access​ ​policies might​ ​have​ ​affected ​ ​grantee​ ​publishing​ ​habits.​ ​​Results: ​ ​​We​ ​found ​ ​that​ ​99.3% ​ ​of ​ ​the​ ​articles published​ ​ by ​ ​ grantees​ ​would​ ​have​ ​complied ​ ​with​ ​a​ ​policy​ ​that​ ​requires​ ​open​ ​access​ ​within​ ​12 months​ ​of ​ ​publication. ​ ​We​ ​also​ ​estimated ​ ​the​ ​maximum ​ ​annual​ ​costs​ ​to​ ​GBMF ​ ​for ​ ​covering​ ​fees associated​ ​with​ ​“gold​ ​open​ ​ access”​ ​to​ ​be​ ​between​ ​$400,000​ ​and​ ​$2,600,000​ ​annually. Discussion: ​ ​​Based​ ​in​ ​part​ ​on​ ​this​ ​study,​ ​GBMF ​ ​has ​ ​implemented​ ​a​ ​new ​ ​open​ ​access​ ​ policy​ ​that requires​ ​grantees​ ​make​ ​peer-reviewed ​ ​publications​ ​fully​ ​ available ​ ​within​ ​12​ ​months.