Open Access v.1 [retired]: Truths & Myths

There are many concerns over the Open Access which have spawned incorrect information, concerns, and myths. If you have questions about Open Access please contact our Scholarly Communications Librarians:

Megan O'Donnell or Emma Molls

Myth: Open Access publications are not protected by copyright.

TRUTH: Copyright is the same for open access and non-OA publications: authors may retain copyright of their work or may be asked to grant it to the publisher (transfer of copyright ownership). Copyright is bestowed automatically to authors of finished works and can only be transferred by the owners of the copyright - by default copyright belongs to the creator. For more information please see the pamphlet "Copyright Basics" (PDF) from the U.S. Copyright Office.

Myth: Publishing Open Access means my work will be in Public Domain.

TRUTH: Public Domain only applies when a work is free of known copyright - copyright has to either expire or be given up by the rights holder before it expires.

An author may make their work public domain before copyright expires by applying a Creative Commons Zero license (CC0 - No Rights Reserved) but this usualy only applied to data or in rare cases when an author/creator wants to give up ownership of their work.

Myth: Open Access journals are low quality publications.

TRUTH: Open Access is a way of providing access, it is not a measurement of quality. Legitimateopen access publications have the same high standards that traditional journals use; articles still have to meet a scholarly standard and undergo peer review. They only differ in how they are funded and how they make content available.

Myth: Open Access promotes plagiarism.

TRUTH: Open access does not promote plagiarism. Just like non-OA publications, research and scholarly integrity is a vital part of scholarly publications, open access or not. In theory, providing access to the full-text of your work does make it easier for others to commit "copy & paste" plagiarism but OA does not promote this behavior.

Myth: Open Access publishing is not a sustainable business model.

TRUTH: Full open access publications do not use a traditional subscription based business model, instead they often fund their costs through publication fees and institutional support (like universities, museums, and government agencies). This model has been compared to broadcast television, those who wish to distribute their product pay a fee, and anyone who wants to "tune in" can at no charge (Suber, chapter 7). While this model is very different from the subscription model, the success of a number of OA publishers has proven that is is sustainable.