The Exploitation of Academic Labour in Academia
Academic publishing generates roughly $18 billion a year at profit margins higher than tobacco companies — while researchers work for free.
One of the Most Profitable Industries in the World
Academic publishing represents one of the most exploitative industries globally, generating approximately $18 billion in annual revenue with profit margins of 30–40% — higher than tobacco companies — while systematically exploiting researchers' free labour.
The system operates on a parasitic model: universities pay researchers to conduct research, write papers and perform peer reviews, then pay again to access their own work. Publishers charge authors Article Processing Charges (APCs), while simultaneously charging institutions subscription fees for access.
The Numbers Behind the APC Boom
Global spending on APCs reached $8.349 billion between 2019 and 2023, with annual costs tripling from $910.3 million in 2019 to $2.538 billion in 2023. Major publishers collectively earn billions from APCs annually: MDPI ($681.6 million), Elsevier ($582.8 million) and Springer Nature ($546.6 million) in 2023 alone.
Publishers like Elsevier achieve profit margins of nearly 40%, surpassing tech giants like Google (21.2%) and Apple (24.5%), by creating a system where academics provide content, peer review and editorial work without compensation.
A Captive Market
Academics tolerate this exploitation because career advancement depends on publishing in prestigious journals, creating a captive market. Publishers exploit the "publish or perish" culture, knowing researchers cannot refuse to participate without damaging their careers.
The exploitation extends beyond publishing to widespread unpaid work throughout academia, disproportionately affecting early-career researchers.
They are organisms that take something without giving anything back.
— Alexander Thomas, co-author of 'Against Parasite Publishers'
Who Gets Locked Out
Those with privilege — access to funding, mentorship, networks and institutional backing — find it easier to navigate the costly and time-consuming process of research and publication. Meanwhile, marginalised scholars, especially from under-resourced institutions or first-generation backgrounds, struggle to break through these barriers.
As mathematician Alexander Thomas, co-author of "Against Parasite Publishers," puts it: publishers "are organisms that take something without giving anything back."
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