Open Access : Open Access (OA)

What is Open Access (OA)?

The purest form of open access advocates unimpeded access to scholarly research in digital format that is free from most copyright and licensing restrictions. This means that the material is available without a subscription charge for anyone to read, download, copy, distribute, print, display and modify.

"HowOpenIsIt? Open Access Spectrum," Version 2.0 (c) 2014 SPARC and PLOS, licensed under CC BY."

PLOS, SPARC and OASPA collaborated to create a guide that identifies the core components of OA and how they are implemented across the spectrum between “Open Access” and “Closed Access.” The guide’s primary aim is to help authors make informed decisions on where to publish based on
journal policies. 

Looking for ideas on how to make your work openly available? Review the list of suggestions from Peter Suber: How to Make Your Own Work Open Access.

Among the suggestions are:

• Publish in an Open Access Journal. See the Article Processing Charges (APCs): Waivers and Discounts for WashU Authors page for a list of agreements Becker Library has with publishers that provide a waiver or discount of Article Processing Charges.
• Deposit your work to a repository.
• Retain rights to your work.