What is Open Access?
Open Access (OA) refers to the practice of making academic resources freely available to everyone online.
The Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI) is a statement of commitment to the OA movement that permits users to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link full texts without financial, legal, or technical barriers. The only constraint on reproduction and distribution is that authors must be properly acknowledged and cited. The only requirement for reproducing and distributing these materials is that authors must be appropriately acknowledged and cited
OA as defined in the BOAI is equivalent to the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY). According to the BOAI definition, OA is analogous to the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY)
Open access journals are electronic and publicly available to everyone at no cost.
The Rise of Open Access
Journal subscription rates have increased over the years, requiring significantly more allocated funds for purchasing academic resources.
Traditional subscriptions can be difficult to access due to copyright regulations.
Internet developments have increased the use of electronic resources, which inevitably changed the dissemination methods of scholarly works.
As research is generally publicly funded, academic and teaching resources should be freely and publicly available to all.
For-profit publishers as copyright owners can severely impact research dissemination.
Advantages of Open Access
A Comparison between OA and Subscription-based Journals
|
|
OA |
Subscription-based |
|
Cost to Authors |
Article Processing Charges |
None |
|
Copyright Owner |
Author |
Publisher |
|
Right to Use |
Free public access |
Only subscribers |
|
Licensing |
Creative Commons |
Copyright law |
|
Source of Funds |
Grants or from institution |
Universities or institutions |
|
Peer Review |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Dissemination Channel |
Digital/Internet platforms |
Print or digital platforms |
Current Issues
Authors have to sign over copyright ownership for publications in a subscription-based journal. With the publisher holding the right over the rates, they increase annually to a point that exceeds a library’s budget.
This had libraries with limited budgets facing the choice of cutting out other budget items for renewal or cancelling current/new subscriptions to retain existing resources, rendering the academic publishing system ineffective. This situation forced libraries with limited budgets to either cut other essential expenses for renewals or cancel current/new subscriptions, thereby undermining the effectiveness of the academic publishing system.
Human resources are wasted when licensing is difficult to obtain or unnecessary.
We Support Open Access
Open access is a growing global trend that provides online access to research by unlocking the portal to the academic world and uncovering the knowledge within. It encourages unrestricted sharing of findings, thereby strengthening its impact and availability to potential readers.
This trend is building up unprecedented momentum on a global scale, leading sponsors and policy makers to exert their influence with full support.
Open access gives more exposure, which increases citations to promote scholarly communication while avoiding copyright infringement and facilitating interdisciplinary research.
Types of Open Access
Submission
Gold OA
Gold OA publishes in electronic form after peer review for free search, download, and copy of full texts. Publication costs called Article Processing Charges are paid by the author. Readers can access Gold OA journals for free.
Green OA
Green OA, or self-archiving, is publishing in a subscription-based journal with a specific version in repositories online for free access.
Publishing in OA Journals
Some NGOs and government agencies publish OA journals, and several publishers are adopting OA practices or options. Submissions to a suitable OA journal in your field can be considered.
Beware of Academic Fraud: by Checking the Quality of OA Journals
The purpose of author-pay model in OA journals is for unrestricted research dissemination. However, its exploitation by predatory publishers has given rise to a new form of academic fraud. Before submitting papers for publication, verifying the publisher with their Journal Citation Reports, Web of Science, and Directory of Open Access Journals websites is extremely crucial. Double checking, cross-referencing, and careful selection are always the best policy.
OA Journal Platforms
The Directory of Open Access Journals platform is an index of peer-reviewed OA journals with details on publishers, research domains, editorial information, Article Processing Charges, peer review methods, and Creative Commons licensing.
What is a Predatory Journal?
Certain low-quality publishers driven solely by profit undermine academic ethics and the entire publishing system by luring authors in and charging them Article Processing Charges for low-quality publication with editorial oversight. Upon discovering the problem, exorbitant fees are required for retraction, causing authors to suffer financial losses or, in severe cases, reputational damage. Journals by such publishers are known as predatory journals.
Tips for Avoiding Predatory Journals