Open Access Publishing Options

Open Access Publishing options offered by traditional subscription based publishers

A number of publishers now offer an open access publishing option, usually on the basis that an article will be made freely available at point of use on payment of some sort of open access publishing fee. Articles undergo exactly the same peer review process. Funding bodies such as the Wellcome Trust encourage authors to factor such costs into grant applications.

Examples are:

Springer Open Choice

Blackwell Open Online

Open Access Journals

Authors also have the option of publishing their work in open access journals. Such journals are freely available without subscription. They operate the same peer review method as traditional subscription journals. Many open access journals operate a cost recovery method by charging a publication fee. This is sometimes referred to as the ‘author pays’ model; however, it is expected that as with the open access options offered by some traditional subscription publishers such a fee will be factored into grant applications.

A useful listing of open access journals is the Directory of Open Access Journals

One of the best known open access publishers is BioMed Central, which publishes over 130 titles.