With numerous advantages such as increased accessibility and dissemination of scientific research, many countries are reviewing their approach to open-access publishing. The United States, Australia, and India have all recently introduced new policies to make research funded by taxpayers publicly available at no cost. Despite these benefits, many authors still refrain from this approach, especially due to article processing charges (APCs). To gain a deeper understanding of this issue, we conducted a global survey and collected responses from more than 395 respondents in over 326 universities and 60 countries worldwide. Our survey confirms the awareness about the open-access publishing model, the available funding opportunities in academia, challenges faced while applying for grants especially to pay for publishing in open-access journals, and finally the repercussions and perceived limitations and concerns related to APCs. Furthermore, we analyzed the effect of APCs on the advancement of science and its dissemination and identified potential solutions to overcome the challenges associated with the pay-to-publish approach. While the survey responses conform to the necessity of open science, several participants were unaware of or do not practice it for different reasons. This work aims to probe the argument surrounding APCs and explore potential alternatives. Additionally, we will discuss the role editors, publishers, authors, and other industry stakeholders should play in ensuring a sustainable open-access movement. By presenting our findings, we hope to contribute to the ongoing discussion surrounding the sustainability of the open-access movement and the potential role of APCs in this process.
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