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Academic Publishing Support

Open Access

Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) defines Open Access (OA) as "the free, immediate, online availability of research articles coupled with the rights to use these articles fully in the digital environment. Open Access ensures that anyone can access and use these results—to turn ideas into industries and breakthroughs into better lives."

While OA is a newer form of scholarly publishing, many OA journals comply with well-established peer-review processes and maintain high publishing standards. The main difference between traditional commercial publishing and OA publishing is that resources are not held behind a paywall. In traditional publishing models, access to research is restricted to those with individual subscriptions or those who have access to a publication through a library subscription. This can lead to increased visibility, exposure, usage & impact of research.

Open Access Publishing Models

  • Open access journal: All journal content is available for researchers to read, print, download, distribute, or link to without fees.
  • Hybrid journal: Some content is open access, typically via publication or author fees.
  • Embargoed open access: Also called delayed open access. This is a subscription model that provides open access to content after an period expires. For example, the most current content may only be available to subscribers, while the archived issues are open access.

Further Reading