Open access (OA) means free access to information and unrestricted use of electronic resources for everyone. Any kind of digital content can be OA, from texts and data to software, audio, video, and multi-media. While most of these are related to text only, a growing number are integrating text with images, data, and executable code. OA can also apply to non-scholarly content, like music, movies, and novels.
A publication is considered in Open access if:
- its content is universally and freely accessible, at no cost to the reader, via the Internet or otherwise;
- the author or copyright owner irrevocably grants to all users, for an unlimited period, the right to use, copy, or distribute the article, on condition that proper attribution is given;
- it is deposited, immediately, in full and in a suitable electronic form, in at least one widely and internationally recognized open access repository committed to open access.
Sources https://www.unesco.org/en/open-access
Further Reading
- What is Open Access
- Defining Open Science and Open-Source Science
- A word from Open Science Champions
- What is Open Access?
- What Is “Open Access”?
- Open Access
- Open Access at Brill
Open Access Directories
- Directory of Open Access Journal
- Directory of Open Access Scholarly Resources
- Open Archives Initiative
- Registry of Open Access Repositories
- The Directory of Open Access Repositories
Open Access Resources
- Bentham Open
- Cochrane Library
- IEEE Open
- Malaysian Citation Index
- MyJurnal
- Open Science Directory
- Springer Open
- Taylor & Francis Open
- UNESDOC Digital Library
- Wiley Open
Open Access Theses
- Australasian Digital Theses
- Council of Australian University
- Malaysian Theses Online (MyTo)
- Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
- Open Thesis and Dissertations
- PQDT Open
- Theses Canada Portal
- Virginia Polytech Institute & State University Digital Library & Archives
Others Open Access
Additional resources and information about data sharing and preservation