WCSU Libraries    For Researchers    The Argument for Open Access

The Argument for Open Access

Traditional Model

As a general rule most academic authors do not produce research for profit but rather to gain access or influence within their respected research communities. Authors submit articles for publication in hope that they will be accepted to what is perceived as the most prestigious journals. The authors give their work to the publishers of these journals and the university then buys this research back from the publisher through the university library.

Open Access Model

What Open Access is about is for the individual research and the university to retain the control of their scholarly output giving them the ability to maximize the impact of that scholarship

90 percent of the world's scientific and technical literature is controlled by publishers that erect barriers to free and open access to the articles under their control.Open Access is a movement to remove all barriers so that all people will have free and open access to the knowledge needed to construct and organize their lives