Ars' science articles link to the academic papers that are being discussed, and based on reader comments, people have a clear interest in looking over the publications. Unfortunately, that interest often runs into a significant hurdle, one that can be summarized as "they expect me to pay $30 to read that?" Now, one academic publisher is experimenting with a system that might get a few more people reading its products: it's offering to rent access to the articles.
The publisher, Cambridge University Press, isn't a major force in the world of academic journals; many of its offerings, such as the Journal of Helminthology and the American Journal of Alternative Agriculture, appeal to very niche audiences. But it appears to be a reasonable attempt to find a balance somewhere between strict article purchasing and an open access model.
Under the plan, users would pay a moderate fee for one-time access (£3.99/$5.99/€4.49) to a PDF of the article. They won't be able to save, print, or copy any of the text—just display it in their browser. Cambridge University Press plans on adding support for mobile browsers shortly.
The prices still seem a bit high for a casual reader, but it's certainly a significant step down from the typical prices (for the journals in question, it represents an 86 percent discount). On its own, Cambridge University Press doesn't publish enough material that this will significantly change academic publishing. The best hope for this effort to have a larger impact would be if it inspired a larger publisher to perform a similar experiment.
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