Open Access Publishing

OA Benefits to Authors

1. Open access works reach a wider audience
2. A wider audience also results in more citations
3. Interest in open access publications may also generate interest in physical copies
4. Retain the copyright over your works

OA Benefits to Readers

1. Increase in accessibility to academic resources to the public regardless of income
2. Creates competition for journals and challenges the rising subscription fee

Open Access publishing is a shift in traditional publishing with many upsides, including increased transparency and greater access to educational knowledge. However, authors interested in publishing Open Access need to be aware of potential downsides. This section will provide links to resources that will help navigate the open access publishing landscape. 

Waive APC with RAP Deals

One potential difficulty of publishing Open Access is the Article Processing Charge (APC) that authors are required to pay in exchange for publishing open access. University of Akron students can take advantage of Read and Publish agreements with the below publishers to have the APC waived.

Journals not included in RAP Deals

There are also many journals outside of UA affiliates. To avoid paying a APC out-of-pocket, then consider what resources are available. Some researchers may be able to include APC when requesting the grant. Other researchers may be able to take advantages of affiliations from their co-authors. Some publishers also have policies for waiving or discounting the APC, available in more detail the links below.

Avoid Predatory Publishers

When searching for an open access journal, be sure that the journal you select is legitimate. As with any new innovation, some bad actors attempt to use open access publishing in attempts to scam victims. Make sure the publisher is legitimate before agreeing to any contracts.

Open Policy checker

An increasing number of grants require the version of record be published open access. Use the below link to confirm that the journals you investigate meet any required criteria.

Rights Retention

Finally, learn more about maintaining your author rights. Traditional publishing often asks authors to give up their copyright to an article, but open access gives authors leverage to maintain their intellectual property rights.

Copyright is never straightforward, and authors should always carefully read through contract language to know what they are agreeing to. Learn how to advocate for your rights.

Please note that some of the links refer to Plan S, which is the European initiative for author rights retention.

• IOP’s open access articles typically receive 81% higher downloads and 31% higher citations when compared with non-open access articles.