What is Open Access?
Open Access literature is digital, online, free of charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions.Works are still covered by copyright law, but Open Access terms apply to allow sharing and reuse.
Open Access is compatible with the features and services of scholarly literature and communication, including:
- copyright
- peer review
- revenue (even profit)
- preservation
- prestige
- quality
- career advancement
- indexing
Open Access does not mean an "open door" for publication. All major OA initiatives for scientific and scholarly literature insist on the importance of peer review. Adapted from Peter Suber's "A Very Brief Introduction to Open Access"
— From the University of Pittsburgh Lib Guides. Originally adapted from Peter Suber's"A Very Brief Introduction to Open Access."