Open access publishing
Open access (OA) is a publishing movement aimed at making research freely available online. When research is fully open access, it is free for the public to access, read, download, copy, share, or use for any other lawful purpose. This approach to open access was established in the Budapest Open Access Initiative (2002) and Berlin Declaration (2003).
Open access helps level the playing field by making research free for everyone to read. Without paywalls, researchers, students, policymakers, and everyday people (including the taxpayers who help fund research) can explore and use the latest knowledge. This open sharing means researchers everywhere can build on each other’s work, sparking new ideas and solutions. Open access isn’t just about removing barriers—it’s about creating a fairer, more connected research world that benefits all of us.
Benefits of open access
Diagram illustrating the benefits of open access, arranged in a circular layout around an unlocked padlock icon. Starting from the top and moving clockwise, the benefits listed are: More exposure for your work; Practitioners can apply your findings; Higher citation rates; Your research can influence policy; The public can access your findings; Compliant with grant rules; Taxpayers get value for money; Researchers worldwide can see your work.
Busting myths about open access
There are lots of myths about open access. Click the plus (+) icons below to learn the facts and bust those myths.
Funder policies and open access
The Australian Research Council (ARC) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) both have open access policies which require open access to research outputs within a specified period of time. When something cannot be made open access, this must be declared in the final report.
There are multiple pathways to making your research open access. For journal articles, this could include publishing in an open access journal or using repository (green) open access to make a version of your article available in our repository, Deakin Research Online (DRO).
Note
Check out the ARC Open Access Policy and NHMRC Open Access Policy pages for more information about these policies.
Open access and open research
Open access is also a key component of the broader open research movement, which seeks to make all aspects of the research process - data, methods, findings, and publications - freely accessible and reusable. Open access and open research share a common goal of increasing transparency, collaboration, and accessibility in research.
Learn more about open research:
- Deakin Library’s Open Research Hub: a communication site provided by the library and designed to support awareness and engagement with Deakin Library’s Open Research Position Statement and proposed new Open Access Policy and Research Data Management (RDM) procedure update.
- UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science: Provides global standards for open science, conducted in a manner that is accessible and inclusive.
- The Open Research Toolkit: Created by representatives of the Australasian Research Management Society (ARMS) and the Council of Australian University Librarians (CAUL).
- Policy Roundtable: An Australian Roadmap for Open Research: Summary document providing an overview of the discussions by a diverse group of stakeholders on the issues and ways to improve Open Research.
Challenges in scholarly publishing
The scholarly publishing landscape faces several challenges that affect the accessibility, integrity, and fairness of research. Issues include concerns about research integrity and reproducibility, the consolidation of publishing power among a few large commercial publishers, and reward and recognition systems that often prioritise publication in high-impact journals over openness, collaboration, or rigor. Open access to research helps address these challenges by making knowledge freely available, increasing transparency, and promoting more equitable participation in the creation and use of research.
Learn more:
- Recording: How have we ended up here? The case for Open Science (59:42) a keynote address by Dr Danny Kingsley (Deakin Library) during Open Access Week 2024.
- Further resources:
- Academic publishing is a multibillion-dollar industry. It’s not always good for science
- Show your working: how the ‘open science’ movement tackles scientific misconduct
- ‘Too greedy’: mass walkout at global science journal over ‘unethical’ fees
- The Retraction Watch Mass Resignations List
- Academic journals are a lucrative scam – and we’re determined to change that
Take action
Advocating for more transparent, equitable and scholar-led research publishing practices requires community support, collective action and culture change.
Click on the plus (+) icons below to discover some actions you can take to support scholar-led research publishing practices and promote equity and accessibility, increase visibility and reach, and enhance collaboration and reproducibility.
Read and share an article from a community-controlled (diamond) OA journal
Diamond journals are community-led and free to read and publish in, making them a vital resource in the fight for accessible scholarship. By reading and sharing articles from these journals, you help elevate the work of researchers committed to open access and signal to your peers that high-quality research is available beyond paywalls.
How to take action
- Search the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) with the ‘without fees’ filter to find diamond OA journals.
- Choose an article from a diamond OA journal in your field.
- Share it with your colleagues, on social media or in relevant academic networks.
- Encourage others to do the same.
Put OA on the agenda for your next meeting
Discussions about open access are crucial to raising awareness and promoting change within institutions. By including OA as a topic in your next meeting, research group gathering or academic committee, you contribute to an ongoing conversation about the importance of accessibility in scholarly communication.
How to take action
- Add a brief discussion about OA to the agenda of your next meeting.
- Share resources that explain the benefits of OA and how your team can get involved.
- Suggest a collective action, like pledging to publish in OA journals or depositing articles in a repository.
Put an article from a diamond OA journal on your reading list
Incorporating articles from diamond OA journals into your teaching and learning materials supports the visibility and credibility of these journals. It also introduces students to the concept of open access and encourages them to engage with freely available, high-quality research.
How to take action
- Identify an article from a diamond OA journal that aligns with your course content. Tip: Use the ‘without fees’ filter in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).
- Add it to your reading list or syllabus.
- Highlight the article’s OA status to students and explain why it’s important.
Go Green OA. Add the author-accepted manuscript of a published article to Elements
Green Open Access involves self-archiving a version of your non-OA work (i.e. the author-accepted manuscript) in an institutional repository, making it freely available to others. By depositing your author-accepted manuscript in Elements, you increase the accessibility of your research, contribute to the global knowledge base and adhere to open access mandates from funders.
How to take action
- Locate the author-accepted manuscript of your recent non-OA publication.
- Upload it to Elements for open access in Deakin Research Online (DRO).
- Monitor and share the impact of your deposited work.
Increase your OA publishing percentage and put it on your CV or LinkedIn profile
Knowing your open access publishing percentage helps you track your commitment to making research accessible. Publicly sharing this percentage on your CV or LinkedIn profile not only demonstrates your dedication to OA but also encourages others to follow suit, fostering a culture of openness.
How to take action
- Calculate what percentage of your publications are open access (number of publications divided by number available via OA, multiplied by 100).
- Add this percentage to your CV or LinkedIn profile, e.g. ‘70% of publications available in open access journals or repositories, reflecting a commitment to making research accessible to all.’
- Set a goal to increase this percentage in your future publishing activities.