Open Access Journals
"Open access" refers to academic research that is freely available for users to view, download, and in many cases, adapt and re-use. Many academic publishers keep journal articles behind paywalls which means that individuals have to pay to access the journal or article unless it's available through an institutional subscription. However, there is a growing movement in the academic community to share scholarly research with the public with few or no restrictions. As a result, some journals and publishers have made the choice to make their material available in the public domain, creating what are known as open access materials.
Many open access journals are peer reviewed, and are reliable sources for research. These materials should be evaluated similar to scholarly journals and books published under traditional models.
Additional Resources
To learn more about the open access movement, visit the following websites:
