Open Access can feel like a maze of options, but fear not – our Open Research Team are here to simplify the journey.
Short on time? Check out our brief video for a quick overview.
Open Access means making a research output freely available to read, download and reuse without restriction. Open access benefits all stakeholders from the researcher to general society. This is no longer limited to journals, it is becoming increasingly common for books to be published under an open access model and many funders now include long form publications in their open access policies.
If you’re new to open access, you may have found yourself getting confused by all this talk about different colours/metals/gemstones, and what they mean. Let's break it down.
Gold Open Access
This means the final published version of a publication is freely available under a license that permits sharing and reuse, often a Creative Commons license. To support this model, an Article Processing Charge (APC) or Book Processing Charge (BPC) is typically required. These charges are commonly covered by research funders or institutions. Gold Open Access can be facilitated through pure open access journals or hybrid subscription journals. In the hybrid model, authors can pay an APC to make specific papers openly accessible while others remain behind a paywall. Open Access books will be made available through the publisher website or platform.
Green Open Access
Green Open Access involves a two-step process where an output is initially published behind a paywall in a subscription or for sale title. However, the author's final accepted peer-reviewed manuscript, pre-copyediting and formatting by the publisher, is then deposited in an institutional or subject repository (this is sometimes also called self-archiving). The University of Aberdeen Research Publications Policy makes it easy for authors to post their journal articles with immediate open access under an open license. By applying the rights retention statement to all submissions, authors ensure that their papers are freely available without embargo, helping to meet both funder and REF open access requirements. Green Open Access for long form publications is less established and the author will be expected to check with their publisher. If you have any questions about Green Open Access for your book or chapter, please contact us.
Diamond Open Access
Diamond Open Access is a model where neither authors nor readers are burdened with fees. These journals and platforms, driven by community and academic initiatives, operate on a not-for-profit basis. As a result, their publication costs are typically much lower than those of commercial publishers. Embracing various sustainable models to fund publications, Diamond Open Access ensures that quality research is freely accessible to all. Examples of Diamond Open Access publishers include our own Aberdeen University Press.
Bronze Open Access
Bronze Open Access typically applies to journal articles and is where a publisher makes a paper openly available, but typically without a license that allows sharing and reuse. The paper may be made open after a specific period but does not guarantee continued accessibility. Importantly, papers under Bronze Open Access may not be deposited in a repository to fulfil REF and funder open access requirements, making it important to consider the long-term availability and reuse permissions associated with this model.
If you have any questions about open access, please contact the Open Research team and take a look at our webpages.
