Open Access Publishing

Open Access (OA) is a publishing model in which scholarly articles are made freely and permanently accessible online, with no subscription or paywall barrier. It empowers knowledge sharing, accelerates discovery, and ensures that your research is available to readers everywhere, from fellow scientists to practitioners, policymakers, and the public.

What Is Open Access?

  • Free access to readers
  • Anyone, anywhere, can read and download your article without cost.
  • Reuse & sharing rights
  • In many OA models, users may copy, distribute, or adapt the work, subject to attribution and license terms.
  • Permanent licensing
  • OA articles generally carry a license (often Creative Commons) that grants broad, irrevocable rights for lawful reuse.
  • Repository deposition
  • OA encourages authors to deposit versions of their paper (e.g. accepted manuscript) into institutional or subject repositories immediately upon publication.

Open Access is a response to rising subscription costs and restricted access in traditional publishing, offering a more equitable model for dissemination. 

Benefits of Publishing Open Access

Publishing OA with Global Journals® offers several advantages:
  • Greater visibility & reach
  • your article can be accessed by readers across the globe, not restricted by paywalls.
  • Higher citation potential
  • OA articles are frequently cited more often, because more readers can access them.
  • Compliance with funders’ mandates
  • many funding bodies mandate that research they finance must be published OA.
  • Speed & impact
  • faster uptake, more rapid dissemination, and the possibility of influencing policy, practice, and further research sooner.
  • Public good & transparency
  • making research accessible democratizes knowledge and fosters broader engagement.

How APCs Work & Why They’re Necessary

  • Open access publishing still incurs costs (peer review oversight, editorial processes, formatting, hosting, indexing). APCs help cover these expenses.
  • APCs are paid only after acceptance, not upon submission, and do not guarantee publication, editorial and peer review decisions remain based solely on quality.
  • We are committed to transparency: we will clearly display our APC structure, what it covers (e.g. copyediting, typesetting, hosting), and waiver policies.

Licensing & Rights

  • OA articles are published under open licenses (typically variants of Creative Commons such as CC BY or CC BY-NC).
  • The author retains certain rights, and users are free to reuse, remix, or distribute, provided they give proper attribution and abide by the license terms.
  • Reuse conditions are carefully defined and linked to each article.

Compliance with Research Funders & Open Policies

  • Many funding agencies now require that research they fund be published under open access or be deposited in open repositories. Plan S is one such mandate, requiring fully OA or compliant publishing of publicly funded research.
  • We encourage authors to check their funders’ OA policies and select publishing routes in line with those mandates.

How to Publish Open Access with Us

  • Select OA during submission or follow instructions
  • At the time of acceptance, you will have the option to choose open access (if content is in a hybrid journal) or confirm OA in fully OA journals.
  • Review and sign the publishing agreement / license
  • You will be asked to sign a license (such as Creative Commons) or agreement that preserves OA rights.
  • Pay APC (or request waiver / discount)
  • After acceptance and licensing, you will be billed the APC. If eligible, you may apply for a waiver or subsidy.
  • Production & publication
  • The article is processed and published openly, with open metadata, indexing, and linkage to repositories.
  • Deposit & archiving
  • We encourage or require depositing a version of the article in a public repository (depending on policies).

What Authors Should Consider

  • Check whether your institution or funder covers OA fees
  • Apply for waivers if eligible
  • Choose your OA license thoughtfully (CC BY, CC BY-NC)
  • Understand embargoes or green OA rules
  • Disclose any prior deposit or preprint status
  • Ensure version control and linking (preprint → accepted manuscript → published version)

Publish in an Open Access Journal

Publishing in an open access (OA) journal means that your article is made freely and immediately available online to anyone, anywhere, without paywalls or subscription barriers. Readers can view, download, and share your work without cost. This model empowers your research to reach a broad, inclusive audience beyond those with library access.

Why Publish Open Access?

Select OA during submission or follow instructions
  • Broader readership & impact
  • Because there is no cost barrier, more readers, including researchers in low-resource settings, practitioners, educators, policymakers, and the public, can access your work. OA articles often see higher download rates and wider dissemination.
  • Increased citations and recognition
  • Multiple studies suggest that open access articles are cited more frequently, in part because of their wider reach and accessibility.
  • Compliance with funder & institutional mandates
  • Many funding bodies now require that outputs from funded research be made openly accessible. Publishing in an OA journal helps you meet those requirements.
  • Promotion of transparency & reproducibility
  • OA facilitates sharing of data, methods, and results. Others can review, replicate, or build upon your work more easily.
  • Equity & societal benefit
  • Open access helps reduce disparities in access to knowledge, allowing researchers, institutions, and practitioners in underfunded regions to benefit equally

What Happens When You Publish OA with Us

When you choose to publish with an open access journal under Global Journals®, here’s how the process generally works
  • Submission & peer review
  • You submit your manuscript just like for any journal. It undergoes rigorous peer review for quality, originality, and relevance. Choosing OA does not compromise the integrity or rigor of review.
  • Licensing & copyright
  • You will grant a license (often a Creative Commons license) that allows reuse under defined conditions. You retain attribution rights and may specify how others can reuse your work.
  • Processing & production
  • After acceptance, your paper is copyedited, typeset, and prepared for publication like any other paper, with the key difference being that the final version is published openly, visible to all.
  • Open access disseminationa
  • The published article is made freely accessible on the journal’s website without subscription. Metadata, indexing, and linking ensure discoverability.
  • Archiving & repositories
  • The article may also be archived in institutional or subject repositories to maximize accessibility and long-term preservation

Things to Consider

  • Cost / APCs
  • The publisher may require an Article Processing Charge (APC) to cover editorial, production, and hosting costs. If you lack funding, check waiver or discount options.
  • License choice
  • The specific license (e.g. CC BY, CC BY-NC) determines how others may reuse your work. Choose one that aligns with your preferences and funder policies.
  • Journal reputation
  • Ensure the OA journal you select has established editorial standards, indexing coverage, and reputation in your field.
  • Copyright & reuse
  • Verify what reuse rights you retain, whether reprint or reuse is allowed, and how you may deposit versions to repositories.
  • Be wary of predatory journals
  • Some journals claim to be open access but lack rigorous peer review, proper editorial oversight, or transparency. Always check for legitimate editorial boards, indexing, and peer review procedures.
Here’s content you can add under “Publish in an Open Access Book” for your site, explaining the concept, advantages, challenges, and best practices. You can adapt the details (e.g. pricing, waivers) to suit your journal or publishing program.

Publish in an Open Access Book

Publishing your work as an Open Access book (or monograph / edited volume) means that the full text is made freely available to readers immediately upon publication, under a permissive license that allows reuse, adaptation, and redistribution. Unlike traditional books behind paywalls, OA books maximize reach, engagement, and the potential for scholarly impact.
  • What Is an Open Access Book?
  • A monograph, edited collection, or book chapter is published openly, anyone anywhere can access, read, download, or share it without subscription or fee barriers.
  • OA books typically carry open licenses (e.g. Creative Commons) that specify how others may reuse or adapt parts of the work.
  • Formats often include a free digital (PDF or ePub) version, with optional print-on-demand or hardcover editions for purchase.
  • Some publishers also allow authors to deposit accepted versions in repositories, further broadening access (Green OA route).
Examples of publishers and platforms offering OA book models include Open Book Publishers, Ubiquity Press, and university-based ePresses.

Why Choose to Publish an Open Access Book?

  • Wider reach and visibility
  • OA books attract readers beyond academic institutions, including practitioners, students, policymakers, and the public.
  • Greater usage & engagement metrics
  • Studies show OA books and chapters tend to have more reviews, citations, social media mentions, policy document references, and media coverage
  • Compliance with funder mandates
  • Many funding agencies now require that books arising from funded research be made openly accessible (or deposited in repositories).
  • Enhanced scholarly value
  • OA enables others to build on, remix, or reuse content (e.g. in teaching materials, translation, data reanalysis).
  • Equity & inclusion
  • Removes access barriers for scholars, students, and institutions in regions with limited library budgets.

Business Models & Funding Mechanisms

Publishing a book openly still entails costs – editing, typesetting, platform hosting, long-term preservation, and distribution. Below are common funding models used for OA books

Model
How It Works
Pros
Constraints
Book Processing Charge (BPC) / Chapter Processing Charge (CPC)
Authors, their institutions, or funders pay a one-time fee to make the book open access (or individual chapters).
Direct, scalable model; covers production costs
Can be expensive; not all authors or projects have funding
Institutional / Library Subsidy
A university press or library supports OA publication costs from internal budgets or central OA funds
Spreads cost at the institution level; no direct charge to author
Requires sustainable institutional commitment
Consortial / Crowdfunding Models
A consortium of libraries or institutions shares the cost; or authors raise funds via pledges
Distributes cost broadly; may encourage community buy-in
Requires organizing support, coordination, and risk of shortfall
“Flip to Open” / Transitional Models
The book begins under traditional model (sales/subscriptions), then after meeting certain thresholds (e.g. sales, funding) is made open access
Allows gradual transition
Risk that thresholds aren’t met; complex financial accounting
No-cost / Diamond OA
Authors pay nothing; costs covered by institutional, society, governmental, or philanthropic funding
No barrier to authors or readers
Requires stable long-term funding source

Key Considerations & Best Practices

When opting to publish an OA book, keep in mind
  • Licensing and reuse
  • Choose a suitable license (e.g. CC BY) that balances openness with your preferred reuse terms.
  • Clarity for readers
  • Indicate clearly which version is open (digital) and which versions are for sale (print).
  • Archiving & preservation
  • Ensure long-term preservation via trusted repositories or archiving systems.
  • Quality & peer review
  • Maintain rigorous editorial and peer review standards, OA does not imply lower standards.
  • Transparency in costs
  • Clearly state any BPC or cost structure, waiver policies, and how funds are used.
  • Deposit and repository policies
  • Understand whether authors may deposit versions in institutional or subject repositories, and under what conditions or embargoes.
  • Promotion & discoverability
  • Use metadata, indexing, book search services (e.g. Directory of Open Access Books - DOAB), and promotion tools to enhance reach.
  • Print editions strategy
  • Many authors retain options to sell paperback or hardcover editions, especially to offset OA costs.