Research Guides: Open Access 1: OA colours and routes

OA Colours and Routes

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.

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:

Fully OA journals, without Article Processing Charge [Diamond OA];
Fully OA journals, with Article Processing Charge;
Hybrid journals (see below).

Click here to learn more about Gold OA (OA Publishing)

Diamond 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. In diamond open access, the costs associated with publishing and disseminating the research are typically covered by other means, such as institutional funding, grants, or subsidies.

Unlike other open access models that involve article processing charges (APCs) paid by authors or their institutions, diamond open access removes financial barriers for both readers and authors. This means that readers can access the research articles without any cost, and authors can publish their work without having to pay fees.

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.

Click here to learn more about Green OA (OA Archiving)

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.

Black Open Access is illegal open access that shares scholarly publications regardless of copyrights. Researchers should avoid engaging in this kind of unauthorizing sharing.