Before the digital revolution, research papers produced at American universities enriched a few for-profit companies in a market of nearly $26 billion in annual revenues, with the highest profit margin since the essential “laborers” (scholars) work for free. In return, scholars want their work disseminated to other scholars and to the general public. That, too, did not happen because these companies offer access only to those who can pay an access fee. Libraries, their primary clients, usually pay large sums for access. For example, the UC system pays Elsevier, alone, $9 million for their bundled access. Most universities subscribe to many companies who publish in different disciplines. However, universities with smaller budgets for library services cannot subscribe to these journals limiting access to the content, hence limiting the reach and impact of scholarly works.

The Open Access movement wants to change the pattern and structure described above. People associated with the Open Access movement want not-for-profit entities and libraries to publish their work and they want authors to retain copyright to their work. Articles which are published Open Access are immediately and permanently free to access by both subscribers and the reading public. Because they retain the right to their works, scholars may republish them on other platforms, on their library digital repository, on their own websites, and/or on any other platform and means that would increase reach and access.

Mathal is part of the Open Access movement. Although many universities are supportive of this movement, administrative practices remain an obstacle in front of scholars who wish to support Open Access journals. Some schools require faculty members, for tenure and promotion purposes, to publish in specific “prestigious” journals, most of which still follow the traditional model: produced by for-profit publishers and available through subscription only. Supporters of Open Access journals encourage tenured faculty, and those not required to publish in specific journals to publish in Open Access journals to break the monopoly enjoyed by for-profit companies over academic publishing.

Many of the Open Access journals, like Mathal, adhere to the same standards for review. In fact, many traditional journals rely on one report. Before being published in Mathal, a research article must undergo rigorous peer-review consisting of an initial editor screening followed by double-blind review by at least two scholars with expertise in the discipline.