# The Price of Gold: Curiosity?

## TL;DR

This paper explores the potential systemic issues and implications of a hypothetical scenario where gold open access, characterized solely by article processing charges, becomes the exclusive publication model.

## Contribution

It analyzes the consequences and challenges of a hypothetical world where gold open access is the only publishing model, highlighting potential systemic issues.

## Key findings

- Identifies potential economic and ethical issues in exclusive gold open access
- Highlights risks of monopolization and inequity in publishing
- Discusses implications for scholarly communication

## Abstract

Gold open access as characterised by the payment of an article processing charge (APC) has become one of the dominant models in open access publication. This paper examines an extreme hypothetical case in which the APC model is the only model and the systematic issues that could develop in such a scenario.