OA Explained & Knowing OA
Benefits of OA
OA Directories
Want to publish in OA?
Common Terminology in OA
Types of OA
Gold OA: Open Access for Global Readership
Green OA: Self-Archiving Publications
Article Version
Beware of Predatory Journals
OA Publishing Support@Lingnan
Open Access Publishing Agreements
Lingnan Open Access Publishing Support Fund 
Self-Archiving via Lingnan Scholars
Author's Rights: Why is it IMPORTANT?- –– How to Retain your Author's Rights?
- –– Author Addedum Tools
- –– More about Author's Rights
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What is Creative Commons Licenses?- –– Creative Commons License Options
- –– The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication
- –– Pre-licensing considerations
- –– How to apply a CC license or CC0 to your work
Gold Open Access?
Publications under Gold OA model can be freely accessible at no cost to all readers. Cost leading to Gold OA publishing would usually be covered by Article Processing Charge (APC) / Book or Chapter Processing Charge (BPC/CPC), charging the authors at the point of acceptance for publication.
What is APC or BPC/CPC?
APC or BPC/CPC refers a fee charged by publishers to cover the costs associated with the publication process, including peer review, copyediting and proofreading, production, dissemination and hosting. While not all OA publications would require processing charges, but it is a common practice in the publishing industry.
Gold OA Journals
• Funding OA Journals
DOAJ is a unique and extensive index of diverse OA journals from around the world. It provides a user-friendly interface with advanced search options, allowing users to filter journals based on subject area, language, APC, and more. This enables researchers to identify reputable OA journals that are relevant to their field of study and do not require payment of an APC.
Publishing in a free OA journal not only ensures wider access to your research but also contributes to the global scholarly community. Remember to carefully evaluate the quality and reputation of the journal before submitting your work.
- Visit the DOAJ website
- On the homepage, you will find a navigation bar. Click “Journal” under “Search”
- Select the filter “Without fees” in your left side. (You can also select “With a DOAJ Seal”, which is an indicator from DOAJ to demonstrate best practice journal, for more information: The DOAJ Seal)
- Refine your search results using filters such as subject area, language, licenses……
Please note that the journal list here just offers a brief overview. For detailed information, please go to official website of DOAJ.
• Quality of OA Journals
The quality of a journal does not dictate by its cost or the level of APC it charges against authors. Many esteemed journals have alternative fundings. Sponsored by academic institutions, societies, or government grants, they can offer their content freely online without compromising the quality.
Just because a journal provides free OA publication does not mean it lacks rigorous peer review or is of lower quality. Like most other journals, APC-free journals often maintain high editorial standards, robust peer review processes, and adhere to ethical publishing practices. They prioritize the dissemination of valuable research and contribute to advancing knowledge in their respective fields.
According to a project conducted by the University of Washington (Project Site), a citation-based index shows that there is no significant connection between APC and the prestige of a journal. In other words, if you decide to publish OA for free, rest assured that you can choose from a range of top-tier journals. For more information, please visit: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2013.12259.
According to a project conducted by the University of Washington (Project Site), a citation-based index shows that there is no significant connection between APC and the prestige of a journal. In other words, if you decide to publish OA for free, rest assured that you can choose from a range of top-tier journals. For more information, please visit: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2013.12259.
Gold OA Books
Much attention OA is driven to journal publishing. Some publishers are offering OA book publishing with different models and alternative price structure.
• Finding OA Books
DOAB - Directory of Open Access Books is a community-driven discovery services and provides access to scholarly, peer-reviewed OA books and helps users to find trusted OA book publishers.
• OA Book Publishing Landscape
OA Books Toolkits, a free online resource that help book authors to better understand OA Book publishing following research lifecycle, through provision of relevant articles, FAQ and search facilities.
The Open Access Books Network is a space for passionate conversations about OA Books among researchers, publishers, librarians and infrastructure providers. The group has produced a series of short videos to help users better understand different aspects of OA books.
The “OA Mythbusters” series seek to clarify some common misconceptions about OA book publishing.