Publishing under Open Access

Do you want to make your publications accessible to as many people as possible while meeting the requirements of research funders? Learn about the various publication options, best practices, compliance requirements, and resources available to you at ULiège.

Open-access publishing offers many advantages: greater visibility for your research, increased scientific impact, faster dissemination of knowledge, and easier access to the scientific literature.

In addition, most research funding institutions and organizations have policies regarding open access to publications resulting from the research they fund.

You can meet these requirements in two ways:

• by publishing your research results directly as open access
• after publication, by depositing an open-access version of your text on ORBi

Publication Models

Open access publishing, or the “gold route,” involves publishing directly in open access through the publisher. There are different open access publishing models depending on who covers the publication costs.

The Diamond Model

The diamond model of Open Access is a virtuous model in which scientific publications are accessible to readers free of charge and at no cost to authors. Led by the research community, it promotes regaining control over scientific communication and independence from the commercial interests of major publishing houses. In practice, journals and infrastructure are primarily funded by research institutions, universities, or funding agencies.

The Gold Model with APCs

The Gold Road with APCs (Article Processing Charges) is based on a model where access is free for readers, but authors (or their institutions/funding bodies) pay publication fees. If APCs serve to reasonably cover editorial costs, this model can be considered fair. However, the significant increase in APCs—which often reach several thousand dollars per article—has drawn criticism: it effectively excludes certain researchers from publishing and diverts a growing share of research funding toward the profits of large commercial publishers.

Other Models

Alternative models such as the “freemium” model (free access to articles and free publication, with additional services requiring payment) or the “membership” model (paying a membership fee to publish in a journal) also exist.

 

Hybrid journals

Hybrid journals are subscription-based journals that also offer authors the option to pay article processing charges (APCs) to make their specific article available in open access. In this model, the publisher is therefore paid twice: through subscriptions (the price of which does not decrease—quite the contrary) and through APCs paid individually by authors.

Avoid publishing in hybrid journals as much as possible so as not to support this type of business practice. 

Choosing a Journal or Publisher

Finding a High-Quality Open-Access Scientific Journal

Before submitting your article, verify that the journal is listed in the DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals), an international directory that lists open-access journals meeting quality and transparency criteria. The DOAJ serves as a reliable first indicator for identifying reputable journals.

Finding a Publisher to Publish a Book

Research the publisher’s reputation, its editorial board, its manuscript review procedures, and its distribution terms. A reputable publisher must be transparent about its editorial process, any publication fees (Book Processing Charges, BPC), and the rights granted to authors.

You can also consult the Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB), which lists thousands of open-access academic books published by recognized publishers.

Avoiding Predatory Publishers

Predatory journals and predatory publishers are fake open-access journals and publishers that demand payment of publication fees without providing the associated editorial services, particularly peer review. They are, quite simply, scams.

Frequently Asked Questions