Business Models and Financial Sustainability

Business Model Framework 

The Journal of ICT in Education (JICTIE), under the management of UPSI Press, operates on an open-access business model designed to ensure long-term financial sustainability while maintaining free access to scholarly content for the global academic community. This framework integrates diversified revenue streams, cost-efficient operational strategies, and strategic reinvestments that align with UPSI’s mission to advance knowledge in education, teaching, learning, and interdisciplinary research connected to assessment practices.

The model upholds UPSI’s social responsibility by ensuring that financial considerations never compromise editorial independence, research integrity, or worldwide accessibility. JICTIE recognizes that journals within the UPSI Press portfolio may differ in revenue potential based on discipline, international reach, and demand. More established or high-impact titles generate greater visibility and citation potential, while emerging or niche journals play an equally essential role in serving specialized academic needs.

This portfolio approach enables cross-subsidization, where stronger-performing journals support the ecosystem, ensuring that scholarly fields remain represented regardless of commercial viability. This strategy allows UPSI Press to maintain a balanced and inclusive publication landscape across its journals.

Performance Measurement and Financial Accountability

Financial KPIs:

Key financial indicators include the diversification of revenue sources, cost per published article, efficiency of publishing workflows, return on visibility and marketing investments, and reserve fund adequacy. UPSI Press conducts periodic financial reviews to track performance, monitor expenditure patterns, and make adjustments where necessary.

Sustainability Indicators:

Long-term sustainability is measured using submission trends, acceptance to publication efficiency, geographic distribution of authors, author satisfaction metrics, citation impact, and improvements in cost efficiency. These indicators ensure that financial strength translates into improved academic quality, global reach, and service excellence.

Transparency and Reporting:

UPSI Press provides annual financial updates to relevant university stakeholders, detailing revenue sources, expenditure distribution, and strategic investments. Reporting also outlines waiver support, cross-subsidization efforts, and the correlation between financial performance and academic impact, ensuring transparency and accountability.

Risk Management and Contingency Planning

Market Risk Management:

JICTIE mitigates market-related risks through revenue diversification and continuous monitoring of global publishing trends, technological advancements, and changes in academic dissemination practices. This approach ensures resilience against fluctuations in submission rates, funding cycles, and international economic conditions.

Operational Risk Management:

Operational risks such as system failures, workflow disruptions, staff turnover, or regulatory changes are addressed through continuity plans, technology redundancy systems, and periodic training. These measures ensure uninterrupted publication operations and consistent adherence to quality standards.

Regulatory and Compliance Risk:

The journal actively monitors evolving international publishing regulations, ethical standards, and copyright requirements. Regular reviews of author agreements, licensing arrangements, and partnership contracts help identify and mitigate potential legal or compliance risks at an early stage.

For compliance or policy queries, authors may contact penerbit@upsi.edu.my.