Open Access Policy

OPEN ACCESS POLICY

The journal offers direct open access to its content based on the principle that providing research freely to the public facilitates a broader global exchange of knowledge.

This journal is an open access publication, meaning that all content is freely accessible at no cost to users or institutions. Users are permitted to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to full-text articles in this journal without the requirement to obtain prior permission from the publisher or authors. This policy aligns with the principles established in the Budapest Open Access Initiative.

Budapest Open Access Initiative

An established tradition and emerging technology have converged to create an unprecedented public good. The tradition in question is the commitment of scientists and scholars to publish their research findings in scientific journals at no cost, thereby advancing inquiry and knowledge. The technology facilitating this transformation is the internet. This public good encompasses the global electronic distribution of peer-reviewed journal literature, providing completely free and unrestricted access to all scientists, scholars, educators, students, and curious individuals. The removal of barriers to access is anticipated to accelerate research, enhance education, and foster learning exchanges between affluent and underprivileged groups, thereby ensuring optimal utilization of the literature. Furthermore, this initiative has the potential to establish a foundation for uniting humanity in intellectual discourse and the collective pursuit of knowledge.

For various reasons, the current free and unrestricted online availability of journal literature, commonly referred to as open access, is limited to a small subset of publications. Within this constrained collection, numerous initiatives have demonstrated that open access is economically viable, empowers readers to effectively locate and utilize relevant literature, and provides authors and their works with enhanced visibility, readership, and impact. To ensure that these benefits are accessible to all, we urge all interested institutions and individuals to collaborate in expanding access to this literature and eliminating barriers, particularly financial obstacles, that hinder progress. The more participants we have in this initiative, the sooner we will collectively reap the advantages of open access.

Literature designated for free online access refers to works that researchers provide to the broader community without anticipating financial compensation. Generally, this category encompasses peer-reviewed journal articles, as well as unreviewed preprints that researchers may choose to share online for feedback or to inform peers of significant research findings. There are various levels and types of access to this literature. The term "open access" denotes the free availability of such literature on the public internet, enabling any user to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full text of the articles. Additionally, users may index the content, transfer it as data to software, or utilize it for any legitimate purpose, without facing financial, legal, or technical barriers, other than those inherent to internet access itself. The sole restriction on reproduction and distribution, and the primary function of copyright in this context, is to grant authors control over the integrity of their work and the right to proper recognition and citation.

While peer-reviewed journal literature should be accessible online at no cost to the reader, it is important to acknowledge that there are inherent costs associated with the production process. However, studies indicate that the overall expense of providing open access to this literature is considerably lower than that of traditional dissemination methods. Given the opportunity to reduce costs while broadening the reach of dissemination, there is now a compelling incentive for professional associations, universities, libraries, foundations, and other entities to adopt open access as a strategy to further their missions. Achieving open access will necessitate the implementation of new cost-recovery models and financing mechanisms. Nevertheless, the significantly lower costs associated with dissemination suggest that this goal is attainable, rather than merely an idealistic aspiration.

To achieve open access to scientific journal literature, we recommend implementing two complementary strategies.

Firstly, academics require tools and support to store referenced journal articles in open electronic archives, a practice known as self-archiving. If these archives comply with the standards established by the Open Archives Initiative, search engines and other tools can treat the individual archives as a cohesive entity. Consequently, users do not need to be aware of the existence or location of specific archives to find and utilize their contents.

Second, academics require a mechanism to establish a new generation of journals dedicated to open access, as well as to support existing journals that wish to transition to open access. Given the importance of disseminating journal articles to their fullest potential, these new journals will no longer utilize copyright to restrict access and use of the material they publish. Instead, they will implement copyright and other measures to ensure permanent open access to all published articles. Recognizing that cost is a barrier to access, these new journals will not impose subscription or access fees; rather, they will pursue alternative methods to cover their operational expenses. Numerous alternative funding sources are available for this purpose, including foundations and governments that finance research, universities and laboratories that employ researchers, endowments established by disciplines or institutions, individuals who advocate for open access, profits from the sale of supplementary materials to primary texts, funds generated from the discontinuation of journals that charge traditional subscription or access fees, or even contributions from researchers themselves. It is not necessary to prioritize one solution over another for all disciplines or countries; rather, a creative exploration of alternatives is essential.

Open access to peer-reviewed journal literature is a fundamental objective. Self-archiving (I) and a new generation of open access journals (II) serve as effective methods to achieve this goal. These approaches not only provide direct and efficient pathways to open access but are also readily accessible to researchers, allowing for prompt implementation without the need to wait for market-driven or legal changes. While we support the two strategies outlined, we also advocate for the exploration of additional methods to facilitate the transition from traditional dissemination practices to open access. Emphasizing flexibility, experimentation, and adaptation to local conditions will ensure that progress across diverse contexts is both rapid and sustainable.

The Open Society Institute, a foundation network established by philanthropist George Soros, is dedicated to providing initial support and funding to achieve this objective. The Institute will leverage its resources and influence to promote and extend institutional self-archiving, launch new open-access journals, and facilitate the development of an economically self-sustaining open-access journal system. While the Open Society Institute's commitment and resources are significant, this initiative greatly requires the collaboration and contributions of other organizations.

We invite governments, universities, libraries, journal editors, publishers, foundations, learned societies, professional associations, and individual scholars who share our vision to collaborate with us in our efforts to eliminate barriers to open access and foster a future where research and education can flourish globally.