The launch of the internet nearly 30 years ago allowed for the development of the concept of open access. Early open access initiatives included the launch of the online subject repository arXiv in 1991, the publication of several free, peer reviewed online journals in the early 1990s, and the development of the National Institute of Health's repository PubMedCentral in 2000. Then, in 2002 and 2003, three distinct meetings took place in Budapest, Berlin and Bethesda which gave rise to a formal and still globally accepted definition of "open access." The widely accepted definition of open access literature is as follows: Open access literature is digital, online free of charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions.1
Although costs for digital publishing can be lower than print publications, open access publishing is not free. Instead of charging the reader for access through purchase or subscription, alternative business models have arisen that provide the publishers with the financial means for providing access to scholarship. One cost recovery model is the implementation of article processing charges (APCs). These charges are paid by the author (who may get assistance from research grants, his university, or his library) prior to publication. Production costs can also be offset by the sale of memberships, add-ons and enhanced services by the publisher. In some cases, journals are fully subsidized by a sponsoring institution, funder or other organization without charging authors or readers. However, while open access publishing has the potential to reduce costs, this is not the only driving force behind open access advocacy. The benefits to individual scholars, related institutions, scholarly communication, and the general researching public are also primary motivating factors.
1 This definition comes from Peter Suber, who is considered the foremost leader and expert on the topic. His Overview of Open Access is an excellent brief explanation of what open access publishing is and why it is an important initiative.
There are two primary routes in which open access literature can be published or otherwise made available. These two routes are frequently described as "gold open access" and "green open access.
- Budapest Open Access Initiative (Feb. 2002)
- Bethesda Statement on Open Access Publishing (Apr. 2003)
- Berlin Declaration on Open Access (Oct. 2003)
There are many ways2 that libraries and other institutions can support open access, ranging from simply providing information to enacting open access policies and establishing institutional repositories:
2 This list comes from the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Library Guide to Open Access
Right to Research Coalition Resources - Handouts, posters, and presentations from the Right to Research Coalition. Geared toward advocating open access to students.
Open Access in Action - Video Presentations - Videos, along with other resources, that feature interviews with open access thought leaders and presentations on open access initiatives and projects.
Open Access Workflows for Academic Libraries - Crowdsourced resource covering six areas in which libraries work on open access promotion, publishing, and other tasks. Intention is to create workflows to allow other libraries to develop messaging and projects at their respective institutions.
Open Access Map - Displays the locations of all types of OA-related initiatives, including funding policies, government documents, university mandates and so on. The Map can be used for OA education training and advocacy, including informing constituents about the progress of OA in simple, clear and easily usable ways.
SPARC Guide to Campus Open Access Funds - Resources on this page are intended to provide vital information to institutions contemplating the creation of an open-access fund and institutions that are currently operating funds
How to Debunk Common Open Access Myths
Open Access Week is an annual scholarly communication event focusing on open access and related topics. It takes place globally during the last full week of October in a multitude of locations both on- and offline. Typical activities include talks, seminars, symposia, or the announcement of open access mandates or other milestones in open access.
Source: content from the Scholarly Communication Toolkit designed by Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
The Library, Technological University of the Shannon: Midwest