2.3 Types of Open Access Journals
Stranack (2008) identified a variety of journals produced in the world of scholarly and scientific publishing. Some journals are broadly focused and cover a range of topics from a diversity of contributors. Others are more narrowly focused, on either the research interests of the contributors, all coming, perhaps, from the same academic discipline or from the same institution, or on the subject matter. It is important to select the best type of journal to meet both your immediate and long-term needs (Stranack, 2008). When offering an Open Access journal service, this service can be inclusive of different types of journals. General journals: multidisciplinary, broadly focused, and accepting contributions from many fields of research.
- Specialized journals: more narrowly-defined focus, and is often discipline-specific.
- Regional journals: covering research from a particular geographic area, whether national or international.
- Institutional journals: centred on an individual institution.
- Annual Reviews: published once a year.
Deciding on the best choice for a new journal must be based upon research interests, the size of the potential audience for the new journal, the absence of an existing journal covering anarea of interest, and any institutional requirements that may need consideration. It is also important to remain flexible, as it is possible to combine different journal types, depending on the situation (Stranack, 2008).