| Summary: | This dissertation examines the development and influence of OA movement in journal publishing; and the challenges that OA poses towards the entrenched reader-pays publishing model against the arrival of Google Scholar.
The behaviour and motivation of the key players in the journal publishing value chain is thoroughly analyzed; for-profit publishers' responses to the threat from OA movement are investigated; and the functionalities and content coverage of Google Scholar are weighted against Scopus and PolySearch Engine.
The study found that OA publishers fail to capitalize on their early adoption of IT and Internet to forge ahead by offering high quality and distinctive value added services. The arrival of Google Scholar (GS) enables the movement to offer the much needed integrated access to their journal articles and together they do bring enough credence to balance the market power against the for-profit publishers, however, in their current form and functionalities, they still lack the vigor to transform journal publishing.
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