There is no single formula that Online Academic Resources (OARs) can apply to achieve sustainability, no ‘one-size-fits-all’ plan that any organization can follow to reach a point of financial stability.  There are, however, a variety of processes and approaches that can help to improve the likelihood of entrepreneurial success.  In an age when traditional content producers – including scholarly publishers and newspapers – struggle to maintain their financial footing in face of the challenges of the digital world, OARs cannot turn to lessons of the past to find their way, but must see themselves as nimble players in a quickly shifting field.

This paper, researched and written with the support of the Strategic Content Alliance and JISC in the U.K., suggests that a significant change in mindset is called for among leaders of OARs, in order to better compete in the new digital environment. It sets forth a systematic understanding of the mechanisms for pursuing sustainability in not-for-profit projects, and includes a discussion of several major revenue generating methods, including philanthropic support, subscription, advertising and other models.

We hope that this paper will help establish context for a conversation about this important topic within the academic community, as OARs and their funders continue to grapple with rising costs and limited resources. Readers of this initial report are encouraged to contribute comments below and to suggest the most valuable areas for further study.

To download the paper in PDF format, please click here: Sustainability and Revenue Models for OARs - Final Report.

For additional coverage and commentary on this report see:

• "Thinking Like an Entrepreneur," Views story in Inside Higher Ed by Ithaka president Kevin Guthrie
  http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2008/06/26/guthrie
• Wired Campus: Chronicle of Higher Education blog entry
  http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/index.php?id=3108&utm_source=wc&utm_medium=en
• ODH Update blog entry by Brett Bobley
  http://www.neh.gov/ODH/Default.aspx?tabid=108&EntryID=62
• Open Access News blog entry by Peter Suber
  http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/2008/06/looking-for-sustainable-business-models.html