In the last decade, open access publishing has become increasingly popular. Open access articles are available to everyone. Regardless of whether they have a journal subscription. This is good news for anyone who has ever been frustrated by the lack of availability of articles in their field. There are many ways to find open access articles and journals. But here are some tips that will help get you started:
What is open access?
The term “open access” refers to research papers that are free to read by anyone with an Internet connection. This can be accomplished in several ways:
Self-archiving
Where authors deposit their papers in an open access publishing repository (usually after they have been published).
Green OA
Where authors publish their papers in journals that offer immediate free access upon publication.
Gold OA
Where authors publish their papers in journals that charge a subscription fee but offer free registration. Or even full-text for readers affiliated with an institution that subscribes to the journal.
Take a look at the Directory of Open Access Journals
The Directory of Open Access publishing journals is a database of open access publishing journals. Created in 1998, the site was relaunched in 2002, and the database currently lists more than 11,000 active journals. The DOAJ is helpful for researchers and librarians to find freely accessible scholarly publications.
The DOAJ is not a ranking system. Instead, it provides information about each journal’s scope, editorial process, and impact factor. It also lists websites where papers are available online, links to publishers’ websites, such as Blue Mount Publishers; and any restrictions on access to published papers.
Watch out for predatory journals and publishers.
There are plenty of legitimate, open access publishing journals. But many aren’t fully transparent about their fees or publishing practices. Some even accept papers without peer review or charge a fee to publish work that has already been published elsewhere.
To avoid being duped, look up the journal’s reputation on sites like Jeffrey Beall’s Scholarly Open Access (scholarlyoa.com). Which lists predatory publishers and journals. Also, ensure that the journal you’re submitting is indexed by Thomson Reuters or Web of Science.
Read up on open access.
The Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers’ website has helpful guides on evaluating journals. What type of open access publishing do they offer, and how much it costs? Though you’ll have to search through its database by title rather than by discipline. You can also check out the Directory of Open Access Journals. DOAJ lists more than 12,000 journals that meet certain criteria for openness in terms of access, reuse, and preservation.”
Know your rights as an author.
Suppose you are a student, faculty member, or researcher at a university that has signed an agreement with an open access publisher. In that case, you have the right to publish in that publisher’s journals without paying any article processing charges (APCs). If the journal accepts your paper, then the publishing costs will be covered by your university’s library. You will only need to give them permission to publish your article under a Creative Commons license. The license allows anyone to use and distribute your article freely as long as they provide proper attribution to you and cite it when they use it. Libraries can also negotiate reduced APCs for their authors. They waive them completely if they choose not to charge them (often referred to as “Gold OA”).
Check your publisher’s policies.
Most publishers have policies about open access publishing. But sometimes, those policies are unclear. So make sure you read them carefully before submitting anything for publication! Some publishers may charge APCs for all articles regardless of whether they are published under an open access model. Others will only charge APCs for articles published under an open access model.
Make sure you can meet your funding requirements.
Many funding agencies require that researchers make their work available for free online. Or at least make their articles available through an open access publishing journal, which often means paying publication fees. Before submitting any work, check with your funding agency. See whether they have any requirements about access publishing in open access journals or paying publication fees. If so, ensure you meet those requirements before submitting your manuscript.
Balance the costs and benefits of publishing in a paywalled journal.
If not, consider publishing in a paywalled journal instead of an open access journal. While some paywalled journals may still be worth publishing in because of their reputation, impact factor, or influence on your field. Others might not be worth it if they don’t provide any additional career benefits. If you’re unsure whether a paywalled journal is worth publishing in, consult with colleagues who have published in similar journals before. If they tell you it’s not worth publishing there, consider moving to another journal that suits your needs and goals better.
Use tools to help you identify open access journals.
There are many tools available that can help you identify open access journals. One of the most popular is the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). This list has over 10,000 journals and updates on a daily basis. Another tool is Google Scholar. You can use this tool to search for articles based on your topic or author name. The library also has an extensive list of databases. The databases contain scholarly articles, including many open access journals.
Use social media to find open access journal articles
Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook are best for finding articles from open access journals or publishers. These platforms allow users to connect and share information and ideas. They also post links to journal articles or other resources related to their research interests. You may even be able to find someone who works in your field who has already published an article on your topic and would be willing to send it over for free!
Conclusion
Ultimately, this article is not to be read by the entire scientific community at once. In fact, it is a help and guide for those interested in the research world but quickly overwhelmed by the jargon and minutia. Book Writing Services hope it helps you on your journey into open access publishing.
