Getting Published: Open Access

Platinum/Diamond Open Access

Journals that publish open access but do not charge APCs. These could be funded by a university, advertising, etc.

Gold Open Access

Articles are fully accessible on the journal's website once published; often under a Creative Commons license or similar. An APC is usually paid by the author.

Hybrid Open Access

A subscription-based journal where the author can pay an APC to make their individual article open access. Access to the full journal still requires a subscription.

Green Open Access/Self-Archiving

Making a peer-reviewed version of the manuscript freely available in a repository. This required no APCs, but there is usually an embargo period placed by the article's publisher before it can be made freely accessible. The manuscript submitted is usually the accepted manuscript, post-review but without the publisher's layout. During the embargo the article can be read by purchasing. 

"Sherpa Romeo is an online resource that aggregates and analyses publisher open access policies from around the world and provides summaries of publisher copyright and open access archiving policies on a journal-by-journal basis."

Search by journal or publisher to learn about their embargo periods and copyright policies. You may need to go to the journal's official website for more detailed information.

"Open Access is the free, immediate, online availability of research articles coupled with the rights to use these articles fully in the digital environment." - Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC)

What is an Article Processing Charge (APC)?

APCs are fees journals require the author to pay in order to publish their article. These are used by open access journals so articles can be made freely available to read; the journal then does not have to charge a subscription fee to readers. Hybrid journals may only require an APC if the author wants to publish their article open access. 

How much does an APC cost?

Prices will vary by publisher, journal, and field of study so it is important to research the journals you are planning to submit to before applying for grants; so you can include those costs in the proposal. APCs for Open Access publishing can be free, a few hundred, to over $5,000 USD. 

It is recommended that authors, when possible, should include APC fees in their grant proposals. 

Check the website of the journal you would like to publish in for fees. Some popular publishers are listed below.