Research available freely to anyone, anywhere, immediately upon publication. Costs covered by Article Processing Charges (APCs) paid by authors, institutions, or funders.
Research accessible only to subscribers (libraries, institutions, individuals). Publishers generate revenue through subscriptions rather than author fees.
Key differences between Open Access and Traditional subscription-based publishing
Understanding the different OA and subscription models available
Article published in fully OA journal. APC paid by author. Immediate free access to final published version.
Author self-archives accepted manuscript in repository (institutional or subject-based) after subscription publication.
No fees for authors OR readers. Journals funded by institutions, societies, or volunteers. Truly free.
No author fees. Access via institutional or personal subscriptions. Publisher holds copyright.
Subscription journal offers OA option for individual articles upon APC payment. Mixed access model.
Institutional agreements covering APCs for affiliated authors. Transitioning subscription journals to OA.