What happens when the scholarly material you need is behind a paywall? What happens when its copyright license does not allow you to translate, distribute, or reformat the work for your purposes?
Open Access helps break down these barriers. By definition, "Open Access (OA) literature is digital, online, free of charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions" (Suber, 2012). OA materials maintain traditional copyright, but with very few limitations to access. Watch the video below to learn more.
Rate of Inflation
Over the past few decades, academic journals have typically risen far past the rate of inflation, making it increasingly difficult for libraries to afford quality scholarly content.
Limited Access
Faculty and students are limited to what is accessible at their institution, which in turn affects how we teach, learn, or do research.
Intellectual Barriers
​Scholarly literature is meant to be shared widely. It is not meant to be barred by insurmountable access tolls. How else are scientists, doctors, and scholars supposed to keep up with the latest developments in their field, conduct meaningful research, and continue to make an impact on their community?
Open Access by If I have already published an Open Access article, can I submit it to a subscription-based journal?
You will have to review the original terms and conditions of the open journal's publication rights. The Creative Commons "noncommercial" terms prohibit authors from reprinting or republishing any aspect of their work in a commercial textbook or subscription-based journal. If the open journal you originally published in has a CC NC component or any other like terms, check with your publisher.