Introduction: About Open Access (OA)
Open Access (OA) is the free, immediate, online availability of research articles combined with the rights to use these articles fully in the digital environment*. Users are allowed to download, copy, reuse and distribute data provided the original article is fully cited. By publishing Open Access, it maximises the visibility and impact of research outputs.
Open Access publishing is in contrast to traditional publishing, which locked up all published content behind a paywall and allows only those with paid subscription to read the content.
As the majority of researchers and universities are publicly funded, research outputs are increasingly expected to be made openly accessible. See the section "RGC requirements" to learn Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC)'s requirements on Open Access.
Benefits of Open Access
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How can I make my work open access?
There are many different routes to achieve open access.
Some types of OA mean that you have to pay an Article Processing Charge (APC). Other types are free of charge but may be subjected to version limitations, embargo periods and restricted locations for deposit. These open access routes are usually described using a colour system; the most common types of OA are Gold and Green OA.
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Gold Open Access model allows the final published version of your article to be freely and permanently accessible to everyone, immediately after publication. Most permission barriers are removed, and the copyright for the article is retained by the authors. Articles published via Gold OA can be published in either:
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Also known as self-archiving. Green Open Access is the practice of depositing a version of your manuscript into a repository to make it openly accessible. The copyright for green OA articles typically remains with the publisher, and there are specific terms and conditions that determine how and when the article may be made openly accessible in the repository. |
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Bronze Open Access is when content is made free-to-read on a publisher's website, with or without any open content licence. This is the decision of the individual publisher and permanent and reliable free access is not guaranteed. |
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Black Open Access is illegal open access that shares scholarly publications regardless of copyrights. Researchers should avoid engaging in this kind of unauthorizing sharing. |
Hybrid OA Journal (Paid OA)
Hybrid OA is a subscription journal with open access to individual articles usually with an "Article Processing Charge". Characteristics include:
Learn OA via YouTube
*SPARC Europe. (2017, Mar 4). What is open access? Retrieved June 27, 2022, from https://sparceurope.org/what-we-do/open-access/what-is-open-access/