Scientific research should be available for all to read, free of charge. That’s the basis of open access publishing. But what does open access really mean for you?
Whether you’re a researcher, student, policymaker, or curious reader, this page looks at how open access benefits you. Discover how open access:
Open access means making research articles and data freely and immediately available to everyone online. If a publication is open access, it means anyone in the world can read and download it at no cost. It can also be shared and used, as long as the original authors are credited.
This is different from traditional subscription publishing where the reader must pay to get access to research. Often it is only accessible through libraries or institutions.
Open access is a global movement to break down those walls and make academic research freely available to everyone, everywhere.
Publishing in an open access journal means that anyone - anywhere in the world - can get hold of your research. That means doctors, practitioners, politicians, students, and the public can read your work and use it to make evidence-based decisions.
Of course, other scientists have access too and can use your research freely and quickly to inform their own work. This speeds up innovation, sparks collaboration, and brings many different perspectives together to solve problems.
Some studies show that open access articles are cited more often than those behind paywalls. Not only that, but the citations also come from a wider range of scientists in different fields and locations. This is because research is accessible to more people, including those who may not be able to get access to research through an institution.
More visibility means more opportunities for your work to be used in future research, helping to increase your influence and impact.
Open access articles are also more likely to be picked up by the media. This can bring your findings to the attention of policymakers, industry leaders, and the public, driving awareness and leading to real change in the world.
When research is shared openly and quickly, it speeds up scientific progress. This is most important in fast-moving fields like medicine, tech, and climate science. Scientists can quickly access data and build on other researchers’ work.
The COVID-19 pandemic showed this in action. Vaccines were developed much faster than ever before because scientists shared their work openly and very quickly. This meant more scientists across the world could work together to find solutions.
Transparency, collaboration, and reproducibility are at the heart of open science. Open access publishing supports this. Having research open to all helps to verify findings, because more people can quickly read the results. And in turn this combats misinformation and builds trust in scientific publications.
Open access plays a crucial role in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Ranging from quality education to good health, the SDGs require action from people in all roles across society. Having access to scientific research equips policymakers, entrepreneurs, and educators with the information they need to act.
Open access makes sure that everyone can access the latest scientific discoveries regardless of their financial situation, or where they work or study. This helps to level the playing field and create equality in education and research. This inclusivity is essential for tackling global challenges like climate change and public health crises.
Open research on climate change allows scientists and activists around the world to access the latest data, enabling informed advocacy and policy recommendations. See Frontiers Planet Prize champion Paul Behrens discussing the future of climate science.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, open access to research articles and datasets drastically accelerated our response. Scientists rapidly shared their findings related to the virus, leading to faster vaccine development and public health strategies.
Educational institutions in developing countries benefit immensely from open access resources. Teachers and students can access cutting-edge research and educational materials without expensive subscriptions, thereby improving the quality of education.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, open access to research articles and datasets drastically accelerated our response. Scientists rapidly shared their findings related to the virus, leading to faster vaccine development and public health strategies. https://policylabs.frontiersin.org/content/commentary-openscience-and-covid
Educational institutions in developing countries benefit immensely from open access resources. Teachers and students can access cutting-edge research and educational materials without expensive subscriptions, thereby improving the quality of education. https://policylabs.frontiersin.org/content/commentary-unesco-james-wilsdon
Open access focuses on making research publications available online for everyone to read.
Open science has a broader remit, extending to all scientific knowledge and data. For instance, the open science movement champions making research data and code easy to find and use for both humans and computers.
Gold Open Access means that the final version of your article will be made freely and permanently available online by the publisher. This is different from Green Open Access, which is making a version of your research available yourself on an open repository. This is sometimes known as self-archiving.
Hybrid journals offer both open access and closed journals, with different funding models for each.
Open access journals typically charge article processing fees to cover the cost of publishing. This means there is no cost for the reader. These fees are often covered by research grants or by the researcher’s institution. You can learn more about Frontiers’ process on our fee policy page.
No. Articles published in open access journals are peer reviewed the same as those in traditional subscription-based journals. High-quality open access journals adhere to rigorous peer review standards to safeguard the reliability of the research.
Yes. In our open access model, authors retain copyright and grant the journal a license to distribute the work (CC-BY). Terms are usually defined by Creative Commons licenses, which allow authors to control how their work is used.