I had originally planned to download the DOAJ dataset again in early November, but wound up doing this on December 1, 2023. The dataset included 20,345 journals, of which 19,565 were in the July 1 version. That meant 780 to have countries normalized, regions, subjects and segments assigned, and publisher and support categories established.
With a change in methodology based on the idea that most new OA journals come from publishers that already have OA journals, even though other events kept me from starting work on these until December 3, I was able to complete the scans by December 7, 2023.
As of now, the dataset includes roughly 2,120 newly-added journals and 3,262 with changes in key fields. 6,611 have fees; 13,733 do not. Of the 1,624 non-fee journals that are not from societies/governments or universities and the like, some 640 are sponsored by universities (and the like), 525 by societies/government, the rest through various means–including 235 where the funding source is unclear.
Plans at this point, changed a bit since the last post:
Journal data
- I plan to download data again on December 26, 2027 when I anticipate having fewer than 100 new journals. That’s also when I’ll look at currency conversion rates and calculate journal fees. Based on recent experience, there should be more than enough time to handle this by December 30.
- The final download will be after 4 pm PST on December 31–that is. midnight 1/1/2024 UMT. I’d expect no more than a handful of added journals.
- With any luck, the new master dataset will be ready for the first pass on January 2, 2024.
Anticipated testing timeline and unknowns
- At this point, I anticipate losing a lot less time to medical treatments (assuming the prostate cancer stays in remission, which seems reasonably likely), but considerably more time exercising. On the whole, and given the usual slowing with age, I’d expect to get slightly more done each day than in 2023.
- Assuming around 20,500 journals to be scanned, I’ll stick with the “sometime in spring” projection–optimistically in mid-May, pessimistically in late June. Which places the new dataset and books in early summer or, optimistically, VERY late spring.
Changes
- Changes made last year will continue.
- The new dataset and books will carry five years of data (2019-2023) rather than six, partly so there are fewer tables with very small text for very large numbers.
I’ll probably do weekly or fortnightly updates in this blog and more-or-less daily quick notes at Mastodon. I am completely gone from the deadbird site.
Comments always welcome, and I still need suggestions as to how to group support/funding sources for Diamond OA 2024.
