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Open Access

This guide provides basic information about using and producing open access scholarship for students and faculty.

How do I make my work open? 

To self-archive a previously published work, check with your publisher to see what your options are. SHERPA RoMEO is an online database that collects information about publishers’ open access policies and provides summaries to assist researchers and authors in determining their rights in relation to specific journals. 

To find an open access journal to publish a new work in, start by taking a look at the Directory of Open Access Journals. You can also limit a search in Scopus to find only open access journals. For more help locating an open access publishing platform, contact the Scholarly Communications Librarian (title will be linked in real guide).

Beyond the open access publishing agreements mentioned above, members of the Duquesne community may publish with certain open access publishers and avoid article publishing charges. The following are some examples:

  • Duquesne University's participation in PALCI now includes an open-access agreement with American Chemical Society (ACS) journals. This agreement covers Article Publishing Charges for selected ACS journals, facilitating barrier-free scientific research dissemination. For more information on this opportunity, including journal eligibility and submission guidelines, visit the ACS Open Science PALCI page.
  • As part of its agreement with Duquesne University, Cambridge University Press waives open access publication fees for selected journals. Visit the Open access waivers and discounts page on the Cambridge University Press site and use the drop-down information to investigate whether the journal you have selected for publication may be eligible for the waiver. 

 

How do I evaluate and choose an open access journal? 

Use the same standards to evaluate open access publishing as you would for considering traditional publishing options. The following actions can help you evaluate a journal: 

  1. Ensure that the journal is peer reviewed.  

  1. Check to see if the journal is listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals. 

  1. Review the journal’s scope. Predatory journals tend to have enormous scopes and will publish articles on many topics. 

  1. Determine what university, professional organization, or institution the journal is associated with. Check the editorial board. If you are unsure, contact members of the editorial board to get more information.  

  1. Make sure that any author fees are clearly stated. Hidden information is a sign that something is not right. 

Publishing an article in an OA journal often involves author fees. Many authors cover these by including the cost in their requests for research funding. Many funding opportunities are directly linked to providing open access to data. For more information about evaluating the credibility of publishers, explore https://thinkchecksubmit.org/.

 

What are my rights as an open access author?

Visit Gumberg's research guide on Copyright and Fair Use to learn more about your rights as an author. 

The Sparc Author Addendum provides a brief and helpful summary of your rights as an author, including steps to take as you publish your work.