The openness of science and open access are the trends of modern scientometry. In turn, this brings both prospects and challenges. The company "Scientific Publications" offers to consider what are the business models of scientific publications and types of open access.
Budapest Open Access Initiative
The tendency to an increase in the number of open access publications has long been brewing in the scientometric society. It started to be discussed more openly in 2002, after the Budapest Conference, where the corresponding declaration was considered and signed. Since then, its ratification has been supported by thousands of researchers and scientific organisations.
The initiative implied the development of scientific publications in the following areas:
Self-archiving. The need to place peer-reviewed articles in open electronic archives. The materials of the archives whose management supported the initiative will be displayed as one global resource of scientific information.
Open access publications. Within this area, a new generation of publications is planned to be created. Their characteristic feature should be that readers do not have to pay for a subscription. The publication is performed by searching for all possible financing options: attracting funds, government programmes, scientific institutions or universities, charitable contributions, etc.
Business models of scientific publications
In the modern scientometric world, there are the following most common models of publishing:
Conventional. Also known as the "subscription" option. Under this model, the reader (a library/scientific institution that provides access to scientific materials) pays to get acquainted with the full-text version of the article.
Open access. The author pays for the publication of the material. The article is available for reading and quoting. The author can attract funding, use a grant to pay for the publication, etc. Thus, the researcher gets more opportunities to improve scientometric indicators.
Hybrid. Combines the conventional model and open access. Publishers and publications using this model finance their activities by providing subscriptions. Open access is provided only to those works that are paid for by the author or sponsor of the research.
Types of open access
Open access not always means that there are no restrictions on viewing the publication and its use. There are the following types of open access:
Gold. The most «broad» type of Open Access, which is possible with a Creative Commons license. The publisher provides free access to scientific content on the Internet. As a rule, the publication is paid for by an author or an institution, not the reader.
Gold (hybrid model). It is possible, for example, if the Creative Commons license is not provided for all articles. The scientist is published in conventional publications that can offer Gold Open Access, paying only the publication fee.
Bronze. This kind of Open Access can be seen as a «preview» to the conventional publishing model. Free access is possible for familiarisation or is provided for a limited period (depending on the publisher's wishes). Scientific articles, in this case, do not have a Creative Commons license or do have a license of an unspecified type. Some researchers do not recognise this type of access as open since the publisher can restrict it at any time.
Green. This type is possible when an author publishes an article in a publication and then submits a copy in a free repository or on the website of a sponsor of a scientific study (often a scientific institution).
There are the following subtypes of «green» access:
- Published – published versions of articles are placed in an institutional or thematic repository.
- Accepted – an accepted version of a paper is placed in the repository. The final version might not have passed editing or layout.
- Submitted – a paper has been submitted to the publication but has not yet been reviewed.
Diamond (platinum). The publisher or the author does not pay for the publication. Funding is provided from the budget of the university or research organisation.
If You need help in publishing scientific research in publications of various types of access, including those indexed in Scopus or Web of Science, the specialists of the company "Scientific Publications" will be glad to cooperate with You. We will provide a professional audit of research, make the necessary improvements, and make a professional translation of the text. As a result, You will receive the publication and indexing of a scientific article.
Contact us using the form on the website or in any other way convenient for You.
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