It's an example among many, of something with a technically clear solution but which seems trapped in a hard to exit equilibrium and collective action problem.

It's an example among many, of something with a technically clear solution but which seems trapped in a hard to exit equilibrium and collective action problem. The major journals confer prestige and are nearly all paid access. Those who benefit most from the current system will tend to either be the most vested and or least concerned about improvements. This gap creates an opportunity for cheaters to break rank and improve their individual prospects in any collective action scenario. What reinforces the trap is cheaters don't need to be malicious, they can be anxious or have low risk tolerance (perhaps stemming from lots of responsibilities).