The Benefits of Open Access

As librarians we talk about open access (OA) a lot — it’s seen as a core competency within librarianship and taught in library related postgraduate courses. Within academia, however, it may be treated within indifference, ambivalence, and occasional hostility. This is often because the goals and benefits of OA are not often understood by the academic community, with academics burdened by confusing REF and funder mandates.  

In the spirit of open access week’s theme – ‘Community over Commercialization’ – this blog post looks at five benefits that accrue from open access publishing.  

1. Visibility and Impact 

Open access publishing increases the visibility of research. Traditional subscription-based journals limit access to those who can afford the high subscription fees, which restricts access to a small, privileged groups. Open access articles, by contrast, are freely available, leading to higher citation rates and greater impact, as more researchers, practitioners, and policymakers read and build upon research outputs. 

2. Accelerated Discovery and Innovation 

Open access accelerates discovery and innovation. When researchers have unrestricted access to outputs, they can quickly identify gaps in knowledge, replicate studies, and develop new hypotheses. The accelerated dissemination is most impactful in medicine and technology where there is high need for recent research.   

3. Collaboration 

Open access facilitates collaboration among researchers across disciplines and countries. Researchers from developing countries, who may not have the financial resources to subscribe to expensive journals, have informational equity with colleagues in developed economies. This ‘democratisation’ of knowledge creates an inclusive community and maximises scope for innovation. 

4. Public Good 

Open access benefits the general public by providing access to scientific research that would otherwise be unavailable. This accessibility allows members of the public including educators and students to engage with the latest research, increasing decision-making and increase community engagement. 

5. Preservation 

Institutional and subject and repositories often provide long-term preservation of research outputs, helping preserve knowledge over time. Repositories use standardized formats and metadata, making it easier to archive and retrieve research articles. This preservation is crucial for maintaining the integrity and continuity of the scientific record. 

These benefits provide a flavour of OA’s importance outside the tight remit of funder and REF mandates that have come to dominate the scholarly communications landscape, shifting emphasis from commercialisation and compliance to community and public good. None of these benefits, however, oppose rules governing OA compliance. Instead, by highlighting the benefits OA, they strengthen the justification for mandates, providing evidential reasons stretching beyond ‘tick boxing’. This wider societal benefit should be championed and celebrated.  

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