Open Access in general means research that is published on the web, free to all readers. It is an alternative to traditional publishing where readers pay a subscription fee to receive print (or online) publications. The idea behind open access is that with current technologies it is very easy to provide information freely on the web. This allows research to have more impact by reaching a larger audience.
From the Open Access Week web site:
“'Open Access' to information – the free, immediate, online access to the results of scholarly research, and the right to use and re-use those results as you need – has the power to transform the way research and scientific inquiry are conducted. It has direct and widespread implications for academia, medicine, science, industry, and for society as a whole.
Open Access (OA) has the potential to maximize research investments, increase the exposure and use of published research, facilitate the ability to conduct research across available literature, and enhance the overall advancement of scholarship. Research funding agencies, academic institutions, researchers and scientists, teachers, students, and members of the general public are supporting a move towards Open Access in increasing numbers every year."
The concept or movement towards “Open Access” (since 2000) is important in STEM researchers. Most grant funders such ad NSF and NIH and some state funding agencies require (mandate) you to publish the results of your research including data in either an “open access” journal, institutional repository or a reputable open repository to make the research availably freely with subscribers having to pay a fee. In fact some funders, will not allow you to receive more grants until you have completed this task. So, as budding STEM researchers it is important for you to understand and engage in this aspect of scholarly publishing. This page will give you a starting point. More and more peer-reviewed journals will publish your article for a fee (Article Processing Charges). Many research institutions have funds to support this activity (CSULB has such a fund for their faculty).
Interested in publishing in Open Access journals? Check out these links for more information.
