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.