Many researchers are choosing to publish their work in an Open Access format. Governments, funding agencies, and higher education institutions are also mandating Open Access to varying degrees. All this support led to Open Access surpassing subscription-based publishing in 2020. Let’s delve into the benefits of Open Access to see why it’s becoming the norm.

What is Open Access?

Open Access (OA) is a model for publishing scholarly research that makes information, typically scholarly articles, immediately available to readers at no cost. The research is often free to reuse for scholarly purposes due to the use of Creative Commons licenses, which we explain further below.

In short, some of the goals of Open Access are:

• Ensuring scientific research is accessible and reusable for all.
• Ensuring that scientific communication is transparent, including for the methodology, observation, and collection of data.
• Encouraging scientific collaboration.

In a recent article, Stefan Tochev, CEO, spoke about the importance of OA:

OA is not just a matter of scientific policy; it is a fundamental right for all citizens and a prerequisite for a brighter, more informed future. … The question today is no longer whether we can afford to embrace OA; rather, it is whether we can afford not to.

What are the benefits of Open Access?

Here, we discuss 6 advantages of Open Access that highlight why there has been a global movement towards it.

      1. Copyright and licensing

Often, research is made OA by Creative Commons (CC) licenses.

Creative Commons licenses fill the space between traditional copyright and the public domain. Creative Commons-licensed works can be copied, distributed, and elaborated on more easily, which is hugely beneficial to the production of knowledge. This is because they clearly define the rights of both the author and the user accessing the material.

They let the author grant public permission to use their work under copyright law subject to the author’s preferred conditions. Also, from a reader’s perspective, they answer the question ‘What can I do with this work?’. Essentially, CC licences set the rules for the use of Open Access material.

Your research can have a greater impact if there are no legal barriers to others drawing from it and including it in their research. Having such clarity will speed up the progress of science, likely leading to more innovation.

If you want to learn more about Open Access copyright and licensing, we have a full article exploring the topic.

      2. Citation advantages

One of the most widely discussed benefits of Open Access is the OA citation advantage. This refers to OA papers having a greater reach than paywalled ones. This simply stems from the fact that anyone, anywhere can access OA research. Increased clarity about reuse and less barriers for readers mean people are more likely to engage with and cite the work.

However, a less commonly discussed benefit is the OA citation diversity advantage. Not only do OA outputs receive more citations, but these citations come from more diverse disciplines, institutions, and locations.

Researchers face immense pressure to demonstrate the impact of their research, often measured through metrics like Impact Factor and CiteScore. Having work published openly means that more readers from more diverse places and disciplines can engage with your work.

      3. Removing price barriers

Towards the end of the 20^th century, subscription costs for publications rose much faster than inflation. The “serials crisis” meant that libraries could not afford all the publications they wanted. The average price of academic journals increased by 226% between 1986 and 2001 alone.

This conflicted with the academic aims of wide distribution and accessibility, as vital research was placed behind expensive paywalls.

Considering that 85% of the world’s population live in low-to-middle-income countries, removing financial barriers to research is a necessity. This ensures that vital information and cutting-edge insights can inform national strategies regardless of financial situations. In many fields of research, this means saving lives and improving quality of life.

      4. Public engagement and education

OA ensures that the insights of cutting-edge research are not restricted to academia. Greater access to research for society can help people understand developments in science and increase participation. Further, the transparency of open research can help build trust in science at a time when this is being challenged.

Professionals outside of academia like health workers, teachers, and lawyers all need to access research too. Especially in countries and institutions without large budgets, having to pay for access to research can severely limit their ability to innovate or even prevent them from working. Freely accessible research means a large part of their budget can be freed for use in other vital aspects, like implementing new findings.

Research derives its value precisely from its applicability and usefulness. One of the main benefits of Open Access is that knowledge is available to everyone regardless of their financial situation or institutional affiliation.

If you want to learn more about the value of OA for health research, we covered how OA can help us achieve health equity in our article.

       5. Interdisciplinary research

Interdisciplinary research analyses and harmonises links between disciplines into a coordinated whole. It stands out because it is more cooperative, involving scientists from different disciplines coming together, pooling their knowledge and skills.

Access to research is vital for building on it and producing more. Open Access ensures that researchers can access whatever research they need, whenever they need it. This prevents them from exclusively reading the research they know will be valuable and missing out on findings that could lead to innovation.

Search engines and indexes blur the distinctions of disciplines and focus on common aims. If a researcher searches “climate change”, they will be able to access everything written on that topic.

This only works if research is Open Access. It enables scientists from one field to access the insights of other disciplines and build from them. If you want to learn more about interdisciplinary research and OA, we have a full article on the topic.

       6. Satisfying funder requirements

Open Access policies or mandates are rules or requirements set by governments, funding agencies, or institutions that require work be published in an Open Access format to varying degrees.

How strict requirements are can vary, with some suggesting and supporting OA publication and others requiring that all publications be published in a specific repository or journal. Also, different requirements will have their own ways of achieving Open Access, whether that be via green, gold, diamond, or a mixture of them all.

We’re covering the global movement towards Open Access by overviewing how different countries are mandating OA. The rapid and widespread adoption of OA mandates means that if you want to receive funding from many leading agencies, you must publish your work as OA.

These policies tend to be related to a government’s aims, often to expand its research output and boost innovation. Introducing mandates is done to steer research and innovation in the right direction for achieving the best outcomes, and the evidence shows that OA is the way to.

Open Access is the future

Li Yuanzhe is an author who published in our Journal of Composites Science and, when they described their experience, they highlighted Open Access:

Another aspect that impressed me was MDPI’s commitment to open access publishing. They offer a wide range of open access journals across various disciplines, ensuring that research findings are accessible to a global audience. This commitment to open access aligns with the principles of transparency and knowledge dissemination, which are crucial in the academic community.

At MDPI, we believe in ensuring that everyone can reap the benefits of OA.

That’s why we have a dedicated team of experts across the editorial process to ensure that your research is published in its best possible form. We have a vast and growing portfolio of journals to ensure that researchers in any field of research can publish openly. If you are considering publishing your work with us, why not begin by looking at our full list of journals?

Further, we’re dedicated to giving you all the information you need to understand Open Access. Click here for our article, All You Need to Know About Open Access, which covers a range of topics that can help boost your understanding and also keep you up to date.