Discover open access
Uncover what open access can do for your research
Why choose open access?
The open access (OA) movement shows no signs of slowing down as institutions and consortia increasingly mandate this publication route. Now is the time to learn about what open access is and what it might mean for your research career.
On this page, we’ll walk you through the essentials of open access, including how it can help you make a global impact with your research.
Keep reading for information and resources designed to answer your key questions, including:
- What is open access?
- What can I publish open access?
- How do I publish my manuscript open access?
- What are the benefits of publishing my research outputs open access?
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Open access 101: everything you need to know
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What is open access?
Open access is an international movement that widens access to scholarly research. It provides immediate, permanent, and free access to scholarly research published online so that anyone, anywhere, can read and build upon the research.
An article or research output is considered ‘open access’ when anyone can read, download, copy, distribute, print, search for, and search within the information.
Unlike the traditional ‘pay to read’ publishing model, the open access ‘pay to publish’ model allows readers to access scholarly information without having to pay a subscription fee.
What can be published open access?
Open access can be applied to all forms of research including peer reviewed and non-peer reviewed academic articles, research data, study protocols, and registered reports.
Here are all the research outputs that can be published open access on an F1000 publishing venue.
How do I publish open access?
There are two ways to make your work open access:
The first step to self-depositing your research is to select an appropriate repository for your research topic. If there isn’t a suitable discipline-specific repository available, you should use a generalist, institutional, or national repository.
Next, you will need to upload a copy of your manuscript to your chosen repository. It can be stored and accessed by people who otherwise would be blocked by a paywall, among other reasons.
Finally, you will need to cite your data in the body of your manuscript and add it to your list of references using its persistent identifier (DOI).
The first step is to find the most suitable publication for your research based on the publication’s aims and scope.
Next, you will need to read your chosen publishing venue’s instructions for authors in full. This will outline everything you.
If your article is accepted and published, the publisher will apply a CC BY license to your research.
What are the benefits of open access?
Choosing how to publish your research is an important decision for any author. With open access, you can create a more equitable system of knowledge that drives further research discoveries.
Accelerate scientific discovery
Open access supports the reproducibility of results and accelerates the dissemination of findings across the world.
As a result, this openness and accessibility lead to increased visibility and discoverability as researchers worldwide can read, build upon, reuse, and support your research findings.
Increased citation and usage
Studies show that research published openly is viewed three times more often than research hidden behind a paywall.
In fact, research suggests that opening your research can generate up to 25% more citations.
Wider public engagement
The importance of communicating research to the general public cannot be overstated.
By publishing openly, you amplify the impact of your research by helping those beyond academia to discover, understand, and apply your research. This includes policymakers, practitioners, and non-governmental organizations.
Compliance with funder and government mandates
Increasingly, research funders are requesting grant holders publish their research openly.
You can easily meet such policies and mandates by publishing your research open access. This includes Plan S in Europe, and OSTP, and the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy in the U.S.
Inspire interdisciplinary innovation
Open access offers researchers from multiple fields and specialisms the opportunity to carry out interdisciplinary research on a global scale. When all researchers can gain access to your research, it may result in new collaborative partnerships and pave the way for new research opportunities.
By drawing on the unique perspectives and valuable insights of researchers with varying professional expertise, research directly benefits from the diversity of thought and experience.
Build credibility through transparency
By making your research freely available, you strengthen your research integrity.
This is especially true if you give access to your data and thus make your research more transparent. In doing so, you increase the credibility of your research and make it easier for you to reuse your data in other research projects.