By 'open access' to the literature, we mean its free availability on the public internet, permitting any users to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of these articles, crawl them for indexing, pass them as data to software, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without financial, legal, or technical barriers other than those inseparable from gaining access to the internet itself."
The Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities
Open access (OA) means free access to information and unrestricted use of electronic resources for everyone. Any kind of digital content can be OA, from texts and data to software, audio, video, and multi-media. While most of these are related to text only, a growing number are integrating text with images, data, and executable code. OA can also apply to non-scholarly content, like music, movies, and novels.
This book covers the basics of open access, including definitions, history, business models, funding, and much more. It is available for free as an open access ebook. It is also available for purchase in paper.
Green Open Access
Free online access to peer-reviewed materials provided by the author (self archived, or published in an institutional repository).
Gold Open Access
Free online access provided by the journal itself, whether the journal is subscription-based, APC (Article Processing Charge)-based, or subsidized. Open access journals can be searchable within a digital publisher’s collection.
The above graphic is by Darren Chase at the Stony Brook University Library and is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.
You have three options when choosing to make a journal article open:
Publish in an explicitly open access journal, which might involve paying an Article Processing Charge (APC)—a fee that is commonly used to offset the lack of paid subscriptions to support the journal.
Publish in a hybrid journal that uses both open access and subscription models for making its content available to readers. APCs for these journals can be just as high (if not higher) than open access journals. High-profile journals and publishers in a number of disciplines are developing hybrid options for authors who choose (or are required by funding mandates) to make their work open.
Publish in a traditional subscription journal and self-archive a version of your article in your institutional or disciplinary repository (negotiating for the right to do so if necessary).
All three options will allow you to share some version of your work with the wider world. However, your decision will likely depend on two key factors:
Amount you are willing or able to pay (either out of pocket or via research funds) to publish your article
Importance of publishing in particular “prestige” journals to secure tenure or promotion
This combination of factors can produce many different results. For example, early-career scholars often have access to fewer research funds or grants to cover publication charges, and often feel pressure to publish in particular journals in order to satisfy tenure requirements. These individuals might choose to publish in a subscription journal and make use of other means to provide access to their work. Scholars who work with translational research and who want to ensure their materials will be available to communities beyond the academy might choose an open access journal to ensure the broadest possible access to their work, regardless of fees. Some researchers might have publication requirements imposed upon them by funding agencies, mandating that they share their work openly in accordance with the funder's rules. It's even possible that a top journal in your field might have very author-friendly agreements, allowing you to publish your work in accordance with open access principles without having to compromise on your need (or desire) to have it appear in a particular journal.
The most important thing to remember is that there are many ways to make your work open. Choose the method that works for you and your co-authors.
UKZN OJS stands for Open Journal Systems. It is an open-source software platform designed to facilitate the management and publishing of academic journals online.
ResearchSpace is the institutional repository of the University of KwaZulu-Natal which was developed to increase the visibility, availability and impact of its research output.
Yabelana is the University of KwaZulu-Natal research data repository. Ensuring secure and organized sharing of research data.
SHERPA Juliet enables researchers and librarians to see funders' conditions for open access publication.
SHERPA/RoMEO is a searchable database of journal and publisher copyright policies.
DOAJ is a database of reputable open access journals in all disciplines.
DOAB is a community-driven discovery service that offers access to open access books.
Before deciding to publish in a journal, whether open access or not, it is crucial to familiarize yourself with the journal's policies. Some journals, even if not designated as open access, may have open access friendly policies. Additionally, take into account any funding requirements related to your research. Certain funding grants may necessitate publishing your work open access.
