A possible alternative to the current scholarly communication process is the open access initiative. Open access publications are available freely on the Web with the cost of these publications provided in a number of ways. Methods to fund open access publications include donations (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy), authors' fees (not unlike some subscription based journals), or support by an institution such as a university. The Marquette Libraries support open access publications in various ways. Earlier in 2008, the Libraries contributed to an endowment for the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy as did Boston College, Georgetown University, the University of Notre Dame and hundreds of other colleges, universities and scholarly organizations. Also, the Libraries regularly link open access journals in MARQCAT, the online catalog.

Other sources for information about Open Access include:

• Open Access Steve Harnad
• Open Access Overview Peter Suber
• A Very Brief Introduction to Open Access Peter Suber
• Open Access Directory A wiki covering many aspects of OA
• Budapest Open Access Initiative
• Bethesda Statement on Open Access Publishing
• Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Science and Humanities

For Authors | Definitions/Types of OA | Finding Tools
OA Publishing Models | For Publishers

Sites for Authors

• Author's Rights, Tout de Suite Charles W. Bailey, Jr.
  "...designed to give journal article authors a quick introduction to key aspects of author's rights... [includes] references to online documents and links to pertinent Web sites."
• Create Change
• Creative Commons
  • CC License options - describes the conditions one may set on use of their work
  • Science Commons - an initiative to promote sharing and availability of raw data
• Keep Your Copyrights: A Resource for Creators
• OASIS - Researchers
• Open Doors and Open Minds: A SPARC / Science Commons White Paper on what faculty authors can do to ensure open access to their work through their institution.
• Resources for Authors Marquette Archives

Definitions/Types of OA

• Green OA - content is in a repository
• Gold OA - content is in a journal
• Gratis OA - cost barriers have been removed
• Libre OA - permission barriers have been removed or reduced

Finding Tools

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For Journals

• DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals
• Free Medical Journals
• HighWire Press

For Repositories

• OAIster (Open Archives Initiative)
• OpenDOAR: The Directory of Open Access Repositories Can search for repositories or content
• ROAR: Registry of Open Access Repositories
  • ROARMAP (Registry of Open Access Repository Material Archiving Policies) tracks OA mandates of funders, institutions, etc.

Sites for Publishers

• OASIS - Publishers
• Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association