Open Access Publishing

What drives engagement in Open Access

• The accelerated digitization of academic sources.
• The particularly high costs that publishers charge institutions subscribing to journals.
• The importance of providing free access to academic research outputs funded by public money.
   

Why is open access to academic sources important?

• Open access to publications increases their exposure and the number of citations they receive in other research and publications.
• Open access to sources increases the chances of collaboration between researchers, as well as between researchers and other entities.
• Open access policy responds to the demands of public bodies and research funds, which condition their support for research through grants on the full disclosure of publications.
• Open access to sources in the fields of health, welfare, industry, economy, or security can influence policy-making in these areas.
• Open access allows unrestricted access to research publications for anyone, anywhere, including in developing countries. 
   

What are the main models in open access publishing?

There are two main models for open access publishing – the 'Gold' route and the 'Green' route.

Gold Access:

• Publishing research in journals that are accessible and open to the public everywhere.
• Payment is required for each article published in the journal (APC – Article Processing Cost).
• The payment amount is determined by the publisher.
• The Library and Information System has reached agreements with several publishers that allow publication at no cost or at a reduced cost. For more details.

Green Access:

• Depositing research publications in a local database - on the researcher's personal website or in an institutional repository.
• In the institutional repository established by the academic institution, researchers affiliated with it deposit their research and publications, which are open to all.
• Researchers are not required to pay for depositing their research and publications in the institutional repository.
• Two main possible conditions for publishing in the 'Green' route (depending on the publisher): one, an embargo period until free access to the publication is granted, and the other - immediate publication of the research, but only in its early version (Pre Print).
• Check the publisher's website for the exact conditions for publication.

Please note: 
Many online repositories, including Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, APA-PsycNET, and others, also index articles from peer-reviewed journals that adopt open access policies, provided they meet the required criteria for scientific quality control and peer review in the field. These articles are marked in the search results screens with the following logo: 

What are the risks associated with implementing the open access model?

• Open access publishing increases the risks of infringing on the authors' copyrights.
• Open access publishing makes it difficult to distinguish between peer-reviewed journals and journals that do not meet the required criteria.
• Open access publishing may lead to a lack of proper quality control and peer review of research, and even encourage researchers to publish their work in 'predatory' journals of profit-driven publishers.
   

What is a 'predatory' journal / conference?

A. Definition
The most widely accepted definition of predatory journals and publishers is provided by Grudniewicz et al. (2019) in Nature: Predatory publishers and journals prioritize self-interest at the expense of scholarship and are characterized by:

• Providing false or misleading information (e.g., fake metrics)
• Deviation from best editorial and publication practices (e.g., lack of peer review)
• Lack of transparency (e.g., unclear or misleading information about publication fees)
• Using aggressive and indiscriminate solicitation techniques (e.g., flattering emails inviting submissions)

Predatory conferences are an increasingly common phenomenon in academia and share similar characteristics.

B. How to Identify Predatory Journals
When considering submitting to a journal, it's important to examine the following:

1. Familiarity with the Journal
   • Have you read articles from this journal before?
   • Are recent issues clearly listed on the website?
   • Are issues published on schedule?
2. Publisher Information
   • Is the publisher easily identifiable and reachable through multiple channels? -
   • Are contact details and a physical address listed on the journal’s website? Is the address real?
   • Is the publisher’s name clearly displayed?
3. Journal Information
   • Are full details provided about the editor, editorial board, and their institutional affiliations?
   • Are the editors recognized researchers in their field? Where have they published?
   • Do the editors mention the journal on their personal or institutional websites?
   • Is the peer review process clearly described, including policies and procedures?
   • What is the publication process and timeline (e.g., is peer review unusually fast)?
   • Are the publication fees (APCs) clearly stated?
   • Are they unusually low?
   • Are copyright and archiving policies transparent (e.g., use of services like Portico)?
   • Is the journal indexed in reputable databases (e.g., *Journal Citation Reports*, *Scopus*, *Scimago*)?
   • If it’s an open-access journal, is it listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)?

Kisely S. Predatory journals and dubious publishers: how to avoid being their prey. BJPsych Advances. 2019;25(2):113-119. doi:10.1192/bja.2018.56 

C. How to Identify Predatory Conferences

Scientific conferences can be placed on a spectrum from legitimate to deceptive. The following table outlines the characteristics of each category:

For information and tools to identify predatory journals.