Concerns and hope as Wiley buys open-access publisher Hindawi

Acquisition worth $298m fuels worries over dominance by big publishers but steps up open-access drive

Scholarly journal owner Wiley has bought the smaller open-access publisher Hindawi in a move broadening its reach in Asia and showcasing the ever-increasing importance of open access.

Wiley is one of the traditional ‘big five’ companies that dominate academic publishing, while Hindawi has grown rapidly since its foundation in 1997 as a dedicated open-access journal provider.