2.2 What is Open Access Journal?

The Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) defines Open Access journals as journals that use a funding model that does not charge readers or their institutions for access. To be included as part of the directory, it needs to adhere to the BOAI (Budapest OA Initiative) definitionof Open Access: users should have the right to "read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of these articles". The BOAI further says: “The only constraint on reproduction and distribution, and the only role for copyright in this domain, should be to give authors control over the integrity of their work and the right to be properly acknowledged and cited ... copyright law gives the copyright holder the right to make access open or restricted, and the BOAI seeks to put copyright in the hands of authors or institutions that will consent to make access open. Open Access journals will either let authors retain copyright or ask authors to transfer copyright to the publisher. In either case, the copyright holder will consent to Open Access for the published work. When the publisher holds the copyright, it will consent to Open Access directly. When authors hold the copyright, they will insure Open Access by signing a license to the publisher authorizing Open Access.”

To further qualify for inclusion in the DOAJ, an Open Access journal should adhere to the following criteria:

  • The journal must exercise peer-review or editorial quality control.
  • The journal must report primary results of research or overviews of research results to a scholarly community.
  • Subject coverage: all scientific and scholarly subjects are covered.
  • Types of resource: scientific and scholarly periodicals that publish research or review papers in full text are accepted.
  • Acceptable sources: academic, government, commercial, non-profit private sources are all acceptable.
  • Level: the target group for included journals should primarily be researchers.
  • Content: a substantive part of the journal should consist of research papers. All content should be available in full text.
  • Journals in all languages are included.
  • All content must be made freely available.
  • Free user registration online is allowed.
  • Open Access without delay will apply (e.g. no embargo period).
  • Online journals should have an eISSN.



Last modified: Friday, 26 March 2021, 3:15 PM