Debunking Myths about Open Access Publishing
Open access publishing has been misunderstood due to the many myths surrounding it. Debunking these myths will lead to a better understanding of the OA system and how it works.
1. Myth: OA articles are not of good quality
OA articles undergo all the processes that articles with closed access go through. Many OA journals have been recognized for their quality. The difference lies only in the accessibility of the article.
2. Myth: OA articles are not peer reviewed
According to the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), over 99 percent of the OA journals are peer reviewed. Peer review is mostly done free of cost by the academic community in both models. The reviewers are unbiased. OA publishing has also shown a positive correlation to citation impact.
3. Myth: OA publishing is possible only through OA journals
Gold OA is possible through OA journals and hybrid journals. In a subscription model publishing, many publishers allow authors to archive the postprint version in open repositories after an embargo period. This is nothing but Green OA.
4. Myth: All OA journals charge hefty publication fees, which makes it vanity publishing
Many OA journals do not charge publication fees. When they do, universities, funds, or grants pay it. It is equal to or lesser than that of subscription journals. The author only pays in a small fraction of the cases but even then, the fees are waived upon request when there is a financial difficulty.
5. Myth: OA allows copyright infringement
Publishers of subscription journals allow authors to publish in Green OA. If there is no permission, the author can negotiate and retain certain rights. Gold OA allows readers to use the work with proper citation or credit.
6. Myth: OA journals are not prestigious
Many OA journals are popular and prestigious with high impact values. Besides, OA journals are not the only way to publish an article with open access. Authors can publish in the journal of their choice and still upload a copy in OA repositories with the necessary permissions.
7. Myth: OA is for second-rate work and might harm your career
Any journal is recognized for its quality, authors, and editors and not for its business model or policy. Good OA access journals rank high in their respective fields. OA disseminates work faster and to a wider audience.
8. Myth: OA has created predatory publishers
Predatory publishing refers to deceptive and fraudulent journals that pretend to provide quality services but have poor peer review and editorial processes. These journals have existed even before the OA trend and are not restricted to only OA. DOAJ offers a list of all reliable OA journals that authors can check and confirm.
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Sources
1. https://guides.library.uoit.ca/openaccess/myths-facts.
2. https://theconversation.com/busting-the-top-five-myths-about-open-access-publishing-14792.
4. Debunking the myths of Open Access – Mendeley Blog.
5. https://doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.27580v1.