Open Access

Definition

Open access refers to unrestricted online access to scholarly research articles. It allows anyone with internet access to read, download, copy, distribute, print, or use the articles for any lawful purpose without financial, legal, or technical barriers.

Analogy

Imagine a library where all the books are freely available to anyone who wants to read them. Open access is like having unlimited access to these books without needing a library card or paying any fees.

Related terms

Peer Review: Peer review is a process in which experts evaluate and provide feedback on scholarly research before it gets published.

Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY): CC BY is an open-access license that allows others to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon your work as long as they give appropriate credit.

Predatory Publishing: Predatory publishing refers to unethical practices by publishers that charge authors high fees for publishing their work without providing proper peer review or editorial services.