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Open Access (OA) is transforming the way research is shared and accessed globally. By making scholarly outputs freely available, OA fosters collaboration, enhances visibility, and democratizes knowledge. However, for researchers new to Open Access, the array of terms and concepts can be overwhelming. To help you navigate this landscape, here’s a guide to the ABCs of Open Access, highlighting key terms every researcher should know. 23 Jul 2025 [1 min read] |
Key Highlights:
A: Article Processing Charges (APCs)
Article Processing Charge (APC) is a publishing fee paid by authors or funding bodies to make an article open and freely accessible (Gold OA).
C: Copyright Transfer Agreement (CTA)
Read your Copyright Transfer Agreement (CTA) to fully understand your rights on OA or self-archiving.
E: Embargo
A period of access restriction imposed on a version of a research output before it’s publicly available.
G: Gold OA and Green OA
Gold OA: OA publications upon publishing at publishers’ websites;
Green OA: Self-archived copies deposited in open repositories.
H: Hybrid Journals
Subscription-based journals in which you have the option to pay the APCs to publish your articles in OA.
I: Institutional repositories
An institutional repository (e.g. CityUHK Scholars) preserves its researchers’ scholarly outputs, including green OA self-archived copies.
J: Journal Policies
OA self-archiving policy varies among journals and publishers. Check out the journal websites or publishing agreements for the information.
L: Licenses
Most OA publications apply a Creative Commons license to specify rights and permissions associated with the article to protect your copyright.
M: Manuscripts
Pre-print: the version an author submits to a journal for consideration;
Post-print: the accepted version with revisions made during the peer-review process.
O: Open Data
Other than publications, open data is another key element of Open Science to ensure all sectors of the economy can be benefited from data sharing and reuse.
P: Predatory Journals
Publishers that exploit the model of author-pays OA publishing by charging fees for publications of low editorial and academic standards.
Q: Quality
Many OA journals are peer-reviewed and of high quality and impact ranking. Locate them in e.g. DOAJ, Scopus, Web of Science, etc.
R: Requirements
Research funders usually require OA for publications (and their data) of their funded projects. Some publishers also require data sharing.
S: Self-Archiving
An economical way to achieve OA by archiving permitted versions of research outputs in open institutional repositories.
T: Transformative Agreements (also known as Read-and-Publish Agreements, or Open Access Agreements)
Contracts negotiated between institutions and publishers that cover both subscription payments (read) and article processing charges (publish).
Explore the Complete A-Z Terms
Discover more by checking out our A-Z Open Access Brochure!
For any enquiries about Open Access, contact the Library at lbopen@cityu.edu.hk
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