Open Access (OA) refers to the free, immediate, online availability of research articles coupled with the rights to use these articles fully in the digital environment. In simple terms, it is the practice of making peer-reviewed scholarly research available to the public without paywalls or subscription fees.
The traditional publishing model relies on readers or their institutions paying to access content. While this supports the publishing infrastructure, it inherently restricts knowledge to those who can afford it. Open Access flips this model, often shifting costs to the publication side or eliminating them through alternative funding, ensuring that knowledge is a public good rather than a privileged commodity.
OA is not just about cost; it is about usage rights. Under true Open Access, researchers and the public are granted permissions to copy, distribute, transmit, and adapt the work, provided the original authors are properly cited.
