What is Open Access?

Open Access refers to free availability of information.

Free availability of scientific knowledge means that the user has the right to read, copy, print and link full-text versions of scientific publications. A scientific publication can be defined as publicly available once it is readable on the Internet by both the scientific community and the general public, free of charge. 

Open Access publishing (OA publishing) is an electronic mode of publication which is constantly growing in popularity. OA publishing supports the free distribution of scientific knowledge and can offer an alternative to the traditional, commercial mode which often focuses on the publisher. 

Researchers can contribute to the free availability of information by self-archiving previously commercially published articles either in an organization-based institutional repository or in an international, subject-related repository (known as “Green OA”). Other options to contribute to the free availability are to publish articles in quality Open Access journals (known as “Golden OA”) or to free the individual articles published in subscription journals from access barriers against a payment (known as ”Hybrid OA”).

Open Access to research materials is also connected with free availability of scientific knowledge.

Open Access journals (OA journals)

• Scientific online journals, free of subscription and license fees.
• However, some OA Journals require the writer to pay a publishing fee.
• Articles published in these journals are called Open Access publications (OA publications).
• OA publications are available to everyone in the internet free of charge.
• Authors retain the copyright to their work.
• Instant peer review and quick publication process emphasize the topicality of research and information.
• Wide circulation means wide readership and guarantees high visibility and popularity for the author.

• DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals), list of OA journals.
• Scientific Journals International publishes peer-reviewed Open Access journals for all major disciplines.

Open Access books

• DOAB (Directory of Open Access Books)

Open institutional repository, e-Prints archive

• Organization or field specific digital archives.
• Database which consists of research articles, documents and other publications that are freely accessible in the Internet.
• OpenDOAR (Directory of Open Access Repositories), list of Open Access repositories.
• ROAR (Registry of Open Access Repositories), up-to-date information on digital archives.