Open Access

Support for Open Access Publishing

Check out the mini video below on how to get financial support to make your research open access!

You’ve heard about the benefits of making your scholarly publications open access so that they are available on the web to anyone, anywhere free of charge.But maybe article processing charges (abbreviated as “APCs”) put open access publishing out of your reach. The University Libraries, in collaboration with other units across campus, has developed programs to provide APC waivers or discounts so that you, too, can make your research open access. Watch the mini video below for an overview of these programs.

Then, learn more by reading the pages "U of A Open Access Publishing Fund" page and and the "Article Processing Charge (APC) Waivers and Discounts" page in this library guide; click on the tabs on the left side of the screen.

Why share your research?

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There are many reasons to consider making your research publications, data, and code open access (OA).

Your Career

OA may increase your visibility.

OA may increase citations to your research.

OA may open the door to collaboration with other researchers, both in your own discipline and across multiple disciplines.

OA may make your work available to other researchers and practitioners (e.g., physicians, engineers, social workers, school teachers) around the globe who cannot afford subscriptions to journals or paywall websites.

OA may allow your research to have greater and wider impact.

Sponsors' Requirements 

An increasing number of funding agencies and grant-making organizations require researchers to make  publications, data, and code open access. If you've received an award, a grant, or any other type of funding for your research, please check your sponsor's policy. For example, see this list of research sponsors and their OA mandates.

Institutional Requirements

Like many research universities, the University of Arkansas has an open access policy:  Academic Policy 1220.00

The U of A policy encourages – but does not require – faculty to make their research open access.

 

Keep reading to find out what OA venues are available to you!

Open access journals and hybrid journals

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You can make your research more widely accessible by publishing in fully open access journals.  In these journals, every article is immediately available on the web; there is no subscription fee for readers. To find the journals in your discipline, check out the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).Hybrid journals publish a mix of OA articles and articles that lie behind a paywall (i.e., only readers who subscribe to the journal or purchase  an individual article can access these paywall articles).

Both fully OA journals and hybrid journals may ask you to pay an article processing charge (APC).Be warned, however, not all OA or hybrid journals are legitimate. So-called "predatory journals" do not follow best practices for peer review or ethical publishing. Please take a look at the short videos and FAQs found in the library guide Writing and Publishing.

The University of Arkansas helps to fund OA publishing in many ways. For more information, click on "Support for Open Access Publishing" on the left side of the screen.

Open access monographs

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A growing number of university presses and commercial academic publishers offer authors open access options. When you submit your manuscript, ask your acquisitions editor about these options.

The University of Arkansas helps to fund open access publishing in many ways. For more information, click on "Support for Open Access Publishing" on the left side of the screen.

Open data and open code

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As with publications, making your data and code open access may increase the visibility and impact of your research.For more information about managing and sharing your research data, please see the library guide Open Data.

Open repositories

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You can also make your research publications, data, and code freely available in the digital world by depositing them in an open access disciplinary or an institutional repository. OpenDOAR hosts a global directory listing such repositories. Please check your agreement with the publisher to find out which version of your publication you may deposit.

You might also consider depositing your publications and presentations in the University of Arkansas institutional repository ScholarWorks@UARK. For more information, please visit the User Guidelines.