Open Access Publishing

"Open Access" (OA) is a term usually applied to academic or scholarly writing published in a way that is freely available for anyone to read.

Practically speaking, this usually means the digital document is available for download and is not stored behind a paywall requiring the reader to purchase access, whether individually or through subscription. Often, authors and/or publishers will apply a Creative Commons license to an OA publication to explain which rights are reserved and which uses are available to readers. Although a growing number of academic books are published OA, it is most commonly encountered when publishing in academic journals.

There are a number of compelling reasons why someone might choose to publish open access, including:

• The well-documented advantage in average citations received by open access publications as compared to pay-walled publications.
• Federal funder requirements for grant recipients to share their research outputs publicly.
• A belief that profiting from the proprietary control of information is unethical when that information is intended for the common good.
• A desire to share meaningful research with as many people as possible.