What if the key to unlocking your research’s full potential is in how you publish it? Open access models now offer many more ways to reach that potential with greater exposure and greater impact.
This article looks at different open access models, like gold and diamond, to help you make informed choices for your career.
These models affect your research’s impact, funding, and global collaboration – this is stuff you need to know!
The world of academic research is growing, and if you know these models’ differences, you can boost exposure and opporunities, expanding your impact and your career.
Key takeaways
- Open access publishing removes financial barriers, allowing unrestricted access to research articles.
- Publishing in open access formats leads to higher citation rates and impact compared to traditional methods.
- Different open access models (gold, green, hybrid, diamond, bronze) offer varying benefits and challenges.
- Funding for article processing charges (APCs) can be a significant concern for researchers.
- The presence of predatory journals poses risks in the open access landscape, challenging credibility.
Gold open access
Gold open access means articles are free for everyone to read right when they’re published. This model helps research reach more people, making it easier for everyone to use new findings. Journals like PLOS ONE and F1000Research lead the way by making sure all research is open to everyone.
What is gold open access?
Gold open access means articles are free to read as soon as they’re published. This is different from the old ways that made you pay to read. It helps authors get more attention and can lead to more people using their work.
Journals like Dove Press show how gold open access can spread research far and wide. It has more than 80 titles in Clarivate’s Web of Science.
Pros of gold open access
Gold open access has big benefits. It lets people read articles right away, which helps research get used faster. This quick sharing can lead to more innovation and progress.
Most Open Select journals from Taylor & Francis use Creative Commons licenses. These licenses let others share and build on the work. This supports the teamwork that science is all about.
Cons of gold open access
Gold open access has its downsides too. The cost of publishing can be too high for some researchers, especially those from smaller economies. While only a few publishers charge extra for green open access, the upfront costs of gold open access can be prohibitive for many highly capable scholars who just happen to lack the funding power.
This can mean talented researchers are left out because they can’t afford to publish, which, in turn, can make elite open access options a source of continued inequity.
Green open access
Green open access lets you share your research by posting it in places like institutional repositories or personal websites. This way, your work can be seen by more people, even if the final version is behind a paywall. However, there are often rules about when this can happen, called embargo periods.
What is green open access?
Green open access means you can put your articles in places like institutional repositories right after they’re published. Some publishers, like Brepols, let you share your work with a little wait time, like 0 or 12 months. This way, you can share your research widely while keeping some control over it.
Pros of green open access
Choosing green open access can save you money compared to the costs of gold open access publishing. By using places like institutional repositories, you make your research more visible. Plus, you help grow the pool of free knowledge. Your university might even help keep these repositories running, which can boost your academic standing.
Cons of green open access
Green open access comes with its own set of challenges. For example, you have to follow rules from publishers about when and how to share your work. These rules might mean you can’t share your work right away, which can slow down its spread.
Also, you might not be able to share all versions of your articles, which can make it hard to follow open access rules.
Diamond or platinum open access
Diamond or platinum open access lets researchers publish and share their work for free. This is made possible by institutions covering the costs, not the authors.
This model helps researchers from all walks of life to join in academic discussions. It makes sure everyone has a chance to publish their work.
What is diamond or platinum open access?
Diamond open access means journals don’t charge authors for publishing, making them, in premise a highly equitable model. Instead, they get funding from grants or consortia. The renowned University of Cambridge (UK) has an experimental repository of diamond access journals.
Platinum open access is similar but focuses on no-cost publication for authors because of sponsorship of the journal. It also makes sure everyone can read the research without paying. Emerald Publishers is a well-known user of this model.
Pros of diamond open access
Diamond open access brings many benefits, especially in making research accessible to all. It matches the core values of academia by letting all researchers share their work. This way, everyone can contribute to research, leading to more collaboration and innovation.
This model is a strong statement for free knowledge. It helps all scholarly work get seen by more people. It’s also a boon for researchers from the Global South and smaller-scale economies.
Cons of diamond open access
However, diamond open access has its challenges. It heavily relies on outside funding, which can be a problem. This funding issue can make it hard to grow and keep journals running smoothly.
Changes in funding can affect the quality and how often journals publish. This raises big questions about the future of diamond or platinum open access.
Hybrid open access
Hybrid open access journals mix traditional subscription-based journals with pay-to-publish. Authors can make their articles free while the journal keeps some content for subscribers. This model boosts the visibility of research and offers flexibility. Many IEEE journals offer this model.
What is hybrid open access?
In hybrid open access, authors can publish in subscription journals and pay an APC for open access. Publishers like Wiley let authors declare funding and confirm copyright. Institutions may cover costs, and members get discounts.
Pros of hybrid open access
This model lets researchers reach more people by choosing open access. It’s grown fast, with over 4,300 journals by 2012. While only 1 to 2% used it at first, by 2018, 3 to 8% did. The UK has a higher adoption rate, showing a trend toward more accessible research.
Cons of hybrid open access
Hybrid open access has its downsides, like high APCs. APCs can be modest to exhorbitant. Elsevier is a case in point, with APCs ranging from around US$200 to an eye-watering US$10,000+.
About 40% of funding bodies don’t cover these costs, making it hard for authors. The European Commission and some large institutions stopped covering APCs in 2020. This raises questions about funding and reimbursement. Also, inconsistent access can confuse researchers and lower the model’s value.
Bronze open access
Bronze open access is a special way of publishing. It makes articles free to read online but doesn’t give clear rights to share or use them. This is different from other open access types because it doesn’t need permission to share.
What is bronze open access?
The bronze model lets people read articles for free. It’s part of the growing open access movement. By 2016, over 40% of research articles were open access, with many being bronze.
Articles in this model are online but can’t be shared freely. This is because each publisher has its own rules. It’s different from gold or green open access, which have clearer rules. Bronze includes publications that:
- publishers release as open access after an embargo
- have content that’s open for editing (including unreviewed content)
- promotional publications shared on a one-time basis
Pros of bronze open access
The main good thing about bronze open access is that it’s free. This means anyone can read important research without paying. It also means more people can read and share the research.
Platforms like Unpaywall show many articles are free to read. This makes bronze open access a good source for research.
Cons of bronze open access
There are downsides to bronze open access, too. One big problem is that it’s not clear if you can use the articles in your own work. This might stop other researchers from using them.
Also, not all articles are easy to find. This is because different publishers have different rules. This can make it hard to find what you need.
Libre open access
Libre open access (or gratis open access) is a big step forward in open access publishing. It lets researchers access articles for free and understand their usage rights. This is often done through Creative Commons licenses, which make it clear how works can be reused.
This approach encourages open science. It lets researchers build on existing studies without the usual licensing hurdles. This can help spark creativity and innovation.
What is libre open access?
Libre open access builds on the traditional model by making articles free and easy to reuse. It uses Creative Commons licenses to spell out user rights. This can include sharing, adapting, and using the content in new ways.
This effort makes research findings available to everyone. It enriches the global academic conversation.
Pros of libre open access
One big plus of libre open access is the clear usage rights it offers. This lets researchers and institutions use published works more freely. It promotes a culture of collaboration in research.
It also supports open science, making scholarly work more visible and impactful. Studies published under libre open access get 18% more citations. This shows a clear link between open access and increased influence.
Cons of libre open access
Despite its benefits, libre open access can be complex. Creative Commons licenses can be hard to understand. Take care that you follow their rules.
Also, not all fields have adopted libre open access yet. This limited adoption can reduce its impact on sharing research widely.
Choose the right open access model for your research
Choosing the right open access model for your research is important. Think about funding and institutional policies. If you know each model, it’ll help you make choices that fit your goals.
Selecting the best open access model for your research
Start by looking at the funding options available to you. Grants and memberships can help cover article processing charges (APCs). Your institution’s policies also matter, as they can affect what you can publish.
If your institution has a good open access fund, it can help you decide. This fund or membership can make a big difference in your choice.
Understanding open access models has big benefits. Studies show open access articles get more citations and downloads than subscription articles. This means your work can reach more people and have a bigger impact.
Also, knowing which models fit your funding and policies helps you follow rules. This makes publishing easier and less stressful.
Summary table of open access models
| Model name | Details | Example cost | Example journals |
| Gold open access | Final version of an article is made freely and permanently accessible online immediately after publication. Authors retain copyright, and most permission barriers for reuse are removed. | €2,000 | PLOS ONE, Occupational Therapy International |
| Green open access | Also known as self-archiving, allows authors to upload a version of their manuscript into a repository, making it freely accessible. | $0 | Various Elsevier, Springer Nature journals |
| Hybrid open access | Publish in subscription-based journals while paying an article processing charge (APC) to make articles freely accessible. | $2,000 to $4,500 | ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science, IEEE hybrid journals |
| Diamond or platinum open access | Articles are made freely available to readers without cost or barrier. Ensures free access to scholarly works. Often community-driven and supported by academic institutions. | $0 | Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry, Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology |
| Bronze open access | Articles can be freely available on the publisher’s website without any charge to authors or readers. Articles do not have a clear open access license, which limits their reuse and redistribution. Free access is often temporary and can be revoked by the publisher at any time. Authors do not retain copyright over their articles. | $0 | COVID-19 research journals, various publishers |
| Libre open access | Free access to research articles and permits additional reuse rights, typically through Creative Commons licenses. | Generally low; many journals do not charge APCs, and those that do have varying fees, often under $1,000 | Journals indexed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) such as PLOS ONE and F1000Research |
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Sources and resources
- https://www.openaccess.nl/en/what-is-open-access/pros-and-cons
- https://mindthegraph.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-open-access-publishing/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_access
- https://www.brepols.net/open-access/self-archiving-policy
- https://acsopenscience.org/researchers/zero-green-oa/
- https://openaccess.ox.ac.uk/oa-publication
