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Open Access (OA)

Deciding Where to Publish

Which journal should I publish with? How do I avoid predatory journals? How can I find suitable Open Access options?

Here are a few decision-making tools to help you answer these questions:

Routes for Achieving OA

Gold OA is publishing in an OA journal (or hybrid journal) and the article is immediately available OA. Sometimes there can be an article processing charge (APC) for this.

Green OA is publishing in a conventional journal and then self-archiving a copy in an open online repository. Often there can be an embargo on the article, so it is not immediately available OA.

Measuring Scholarly Impact

Predatory Journals

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A dark side of OA has been the emergence of predatory journals, so-named because these journal publishers "prey" on unsuspecting academics trying to publish. They may engage in a number of dubious, academically illegitimate, or even unethical practices, including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Withholding company location and contact information
  • Spamming academics to solicit article submissions
  • Charging exhorbitant author-side fees
  • Duplicating other publications' articles (content piracy)
  • Utilising inadequate or false peer review processes
  • Creating fake editorial panels using the names of actual academics (without their consent or knowledge)
  • Advertising and organising fake conferences

Articles examining the predatory journal issue do not often mention the detrimental effects proliferation of this journal content can have on students' academic development. While academics should avoid these journals for both research and publishing, it is also important to inform students as well.

Think. Check. Submit

This is a website to help researchers identify trusted journals for their research. It is a simple checklist researchers can use to assess the credentials of a journal or publisher.

Journal Publishing & Management Software

Open Journal Systems (OJS) is a journal management and publishing system that has been developed by the Public Knowledge Project through its federally funded efforts to expand and improve access to research.