# Diamond Open Access: Boutique Model or Next Revolution?

**URL:** <https://forum.edch.eu/t/diamond-open-access-boutique-model-or-next-revolution/817>\
**Category:** Reading Corner\
**Created:** [25 March 2026 10:43 UTC](https://forum.edch.eu/t/diamond-open-access-boutique-model-or-next-revolution/817 "2026-03-25T10:43:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![anna.hughes](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.edch.eu/anna.hughes/32/67_2.png) [@anna.hughes](https://forum.edch.eu/u/anna.hughes)\
**Post date:** [25 March 2026 10:43 UTC](https://forum.edch.eu/t/diamond-open-access-boutique-model-or-next-revolution/817/1 "2026-03-25T10:43:01Z")

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Ulrich Herb explores this question in a new blog post, based on a talk he gave on 16 March 2026 at the [89th Annual Conference of the German Physical Society](https://erlangen26.dpg-tagungen.de/) (DPG), Spring Meeting of the Matter and Cosmos Section (SMuK): “Diamond Open Access: Misconceptions, Systemic Constraints, Potentials.”

In the blog post, he discusses:

- The moving target of what “counts” as Diamond OA (scholar‑led, non‑profit, CC licences, Subscribe‑to‑Open, etc.)
- The prestige economy that still governs researchers’ publishing decisions despite widespread sympathy for Open Access
- Why community‑grown initiatives like LIPIcs or SciPost suggest a viable, but clearly niche, role for Diamond OA

Full analysis, data points and examples are on Ulrich’s blog: [Diamond Open Access: A Boutique Model for Scholarly Publishing? - pulse49.com](https://pulse49.com/2026/03/23/diamond-open-access-a-boutique-model-for-scholarly-publishing/)

**Ulrich asks, ‘would you currently describe Diamond Open Access in your field more as a niche experiment or as a serious strategic option?’**

Please share your thoughts in the comments below 👇

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**Author:** ![mpaulhac](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.edch.eu/mpaulhac/32/48_2.png) [@mpaulhac](https://forum.edch.eu/u/mpaulhac)\
**Post date:** [31 March 2026 09:47 UTC](https://forum.edch.eu/t/diamond-open-access-boutique-model-or-next-revolution/817/2 "2026-03-31T09:47:18Z")

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Thanks Anna for sharing! I am also posting the reply by @johanrooryck:

> **[Diamond OA, boutique or bazaar? A reply to Herb (2026) ](https://thd.hypotheses.org/560)**
>
> Johan Rooryck (co-coordinator European Diamond Capacity Hub at OPERAS Research Infrastructure) https://pulse49.com/2026/03/23/diamond-open-access-a-boutique-model-for-scholarly-publishing In Diamond Open Access: A boutique model for scholarly...