Skip to Main Content

Open Access Open Access Overview

What is Open Access?

Open access (OA) allows for free and immediate online access to scholarly works that anyone can read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or share. OA differs from traditional pay-to-read subscription models that are traditionally paid for by libraries.

OA publishing comes with several advantages: it removes access barriers for the research community and beyond, and it also gives the authors more exposure and a wider reach. Authors may choose to publish under a Creative Commons license that specifies how readers may use their articles.

OA using a Creative Commons license also means that readers are often allowed to redistribute, re-use and adapt the content in new works in accordance with the license terms — as long as the original source is acknowledged and cited.

 

Learn more about open access at openaccess.en