"In short, Open Access is the free and unrestricted online access to outputs of scholarly research." Open Access and Digital Scholarship Blog, Imperial College London
OA journals are available online for everyone to read for free, rather than only paid subscribers.
Many OA journals employ scholarly peer-review and rigorous editorial processes, just like commercial journals. Therefore the quality of the research product is not diminished, but access to that product is more open to students and researchers around the world.
Resources to learn more:
APC = Article Processing Charge
Usage of some terms like "Gold" may vary, so always read a journal's policies carefully, or consult the Directory of Open Access Journals for clear information about a journal's OA publishing and author fees.
This terminology was chosen by those advocating for open access to research, so terms such as Gold and Platinum suggest a bias in favor of open. This does not make traditional journals "bad" or make all open journals "better." They are simply different ends of an access spectrum, and an individual researcher's priorities and values will determine the appropriate choice for each individual publication.
Your institution and/or the funding agency may require open access publishing (especially government funders). Read the terms of your funding and plan in advance. The tools below may help you to identify mandates from your institution and/or funding agency.
Journals
Books
Basics
Some journals charge article processing charges (APCs) to publish articles in open access, in theory to replace the subscription costs that fund traditional paywalled publishing. Authors may be able to pay APCs with grant funds or may have access to funding from their institution.
In some cases, a journal publishes only open-access articles with APCs. Other journals use a hybrid model, in which the author of each article can choose between paying an APC for open-access publication or letting the article be published behind a subscription paywall.
Additionally, some journals publish only open access but charge zero fees. If you need or want open-access publishing but can't or won't pay APCs, search the DOAJ for zero-fee OA journals, or ask the Scholarly Communications Librarian for suggestions.
The existence of an APC is not necessarily predatory--many highly reputed journals now offer APC options. Determine why the publisher charges a particular fee, for what service or value, and whether you judge it to be acceptable and ethical. If you are unsure about whether a particular publisher fee is appropriate or predatory, contact the Scholarly Communications Librarian for consultation.
SHSU Discounts from Elsevier
SHSU authors are eligible for discounts on APCs with some Elsevier journals.
Eligibility Criteria:
If you have questions about obtaining a discount for an upcoming publication, please contact the Scholarly Communications Librarian.
Beware of Fine Print
Open-access publishing agreements from some publishers, such as Elsevier and Wiley, may contain "fine print" or loopholes you may easily overlook. Although the article is published with a Creative Common license that provides free online access and broad reuse rights for readers, it may also grant the publisher an exclusive right to earn a profit from the work -- blocking you from commercial uses of your own work. Learn more in the article below from the Authors Alliance.
Flowchart: When Should I Consider Paying APCs?
This flowchart may assist you in determining whether it is "worth" paying an APC for a particular publication, especially if the APC funding was not included in a grant budget.
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