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.

FROM THE DEAN OF LIBRARIES:

Dean Janice Welburn
Janice Welburn
Dean of Libraries

While we may hold differing opinions about the right to use information, Open Access in principle and practice has forever changed the way that we think about research and scholarship. The Open Access movement aims to remove the barriers to the free exchange of scholarly research while maintaining the rights of authors and creators of scholarly information. It is an effort to take advantage of the benefits of our digital era, especially at a time when the price of information has increased well beyond any other measure of inflation.

We live in a time when collaboration across scholarly disciplines is increasingly important and supported by emerging technologies and information and communication networks. Open Access expands our capacity to share scholarship without obstacles while maintaining the integrity of intellectual property.

Other sources for information about Open Access include:

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

Sites for Authors

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


For Journals

For Repositories

Sites for Publishers