Open Access: Definitions, Conflicts, and Some Guidance

Open Access (OA) is an integral part of Open Science. In his talk, Nino Wili, PhD student in Chemistry at ETH, introduced the topic and discussed definitions, outlined some conflicts, and gave guidance. OA is defined as – a nuance of – something having free availability on the internet without barriers. The only constraint on reproduction and distribution is the authors who have control over the integrity of their work and the right to be properly acknowledged and cited. Thus, there is a need for copyright in this domain.

Wili then outlined the different colors of OA: green (usually on an institutional repository, open after an embargo, might differ from published version), gold (Open Access, Article Processing Charges often paid by authors), and Platinum (Open Access, Article Processing Charges often paid by institution). The speaker also pointed out the problems with each color of publishing, one common issue being that incentives for rigorous review are missing. Furthermore, Wili discussed different business models that publishing houses choose, explained different possible OA publishing routes, and spoke on the different copyright licenses that authors need to decide on depending on how they want their material to be used in the future.

Subsequently, Nino Wili gave an overview of current trends with regards to publishers and funders, e.g. project DEAL in Germany (several universities have negotiated a read-and-publish agreement with publishers), Plan S, or the SNSF policy. The talk was closed with some suggestions about what early career researchers can do and a discussion about how a change towards OA must be accompanied by changes in evaluation, culture, and hiring practices of (young) researchers.

• Slides: Open Access basics →