Publishing Open Access: What authors need to know
As a researcher, you want your research to reach the right audience, have the maximum impact, and be widely cited. However, accessing scholarly research often involves encountering paywalls, which can hinder access to students, independent researchers, industry professionals, and others without institutional support. This limits your audience and reduces the chances of your work being cited. Open Access offers a solution by providing free online access to peer-reviewed research to democratise knowledge sharing and ensure that your research reaches a wide global audience.
Apart from reaching a larger audience, publishing Open Access has other significant benefits:
Open Access enables researchers and experts across disciplines, institutions, and countries to engage with your work, potentially fostering new partnerships and collaboration opportunities.
Open Access publishing operates under the Creative Commons CC BY license, which allows users to share, use and build upon research without restrictions – improving research dissemination and collaboration.
Recently, many funding agencies have required publicly funded research to be published in Open Access. Therefore, you can be eligible for more funding opportunities if you decide to publish Open Access.
Open research ensures that policymakers and the general public can access findings without barriers. In this way, you are actively contributing to advancing your field.
A common question about Open Access publishing is how publishers cover the cost of publishing if not through pay-to-read models. There are a few funding models, each with different implications for authors.
The two main ways journals cover costs are through institutional funding or article processing charges (APCs). The institution may fund the journal internally if it belongs to a university, member organisation, association, or society. However, if the journal’s editorial team cannot do so, they will charge accepted authors to publish their work. As such, the burden of cost falls on the researcher or the organisation. The source of funding can be identified by understanding the different types of Open Access journals.
TYPES OF OPEN ACCESS JOURNALS
- Diamond/Platinum: Open Access content is published without charging APCs. The journal’s funding comes from academic institutions or philanthropic support, giving free access to authors and readers. KnE Publishing is a Diamond Open Access publisher. Almost all our journals are free to publish in.
- Gold: Publishers offer full access to articles on their journal websites under a Creative Commons or similar license. This model involves the payment of an APC, which is usually covered by the authors themselves, grants they receive or the institution with which they are affiliated.
- Hybrid: These journals operate on a paid subscription model and offer the option of publishing your article Open Access upon paying an APC. They still charge universities and libraries subscription payments.
- Bronze: These journals allow free online reading of articles but do not have a reuse license. The content is not licensed for redistribution or adaptation.
KNE CLUE: HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL
As an author, selecting an Open Access journal requires careful consideration, especially with the growing number of predatory journals. Here’s what to look for:
Editorial standards
A reputable and non-predatory journal will have a rigorous peer review process and an editorial board of industry experts.
APCs
Ensure that if there’s an article processing charge, it is clearly stated and is only applicable after a paper is accepted. Some journals have waivers for low-income groups and countries. If this applies to you, looking for such a journal is worthwhile.
Indexing
Check whether the journal is indexed in major databases you know. A well-indexed journal ensures visibility and credibility.
Licensing
Check whether the journal operates under a Creative Commons license. CC BY (Attribution) is the most common, allowing the reuse of content while ensuring that the authors retain credit.
The Open Access movement is growing and changing, continuously moulding itself to promote accessibility and transparency in knowledge creation and sharing. As a Diamond Open Access publisher, we are committed to open research and look forward to new developments. Publish your work with us and join this growing community of organisations and individuals passionate about sharing research openly. To learn more about publishing with us, click here.