Gold Open Access
The final published version is immediately free to read and reuse under an open licence, often with an article processing charge.
What it means
Open access is more than free to read.
Open access means research is available online, free of charge, with clear permission for reuse. It removes price and permission barriers while preserving attribution, integrity and editorial quality.
On Access2Sciences, open-access works are labelled with an access badge and a licence statement. Readers can immediately access the full text; authors can reach audiences that subscription-only publishing may never serve.
For readers
- Read the full text immediately, without a paywall
- Share links with students, colleagues and the public
- Reuse figures, tables and text where the licence allows
- Use machine-readable metadata for text and data mining
- Cite stable DOIs and persistent identifiers
- Trust that articles passed peer review and editorial checks
For authors
- Reach readers who cannot afford subscription access
- Increase citations, downloads and policy impact
- Retain rights and make your work reusable
- Meet funder and institutional open-access requirements
- Benefit from structured metadata and long-term discoverability
- Support faster translation of research into practice
Publishing routes
Different paths, one goal: accessible research.
Open access can be delivered through several models. The right route depends on your funder, institution, journal and community.
Hybrid Open Access
An open-access article is published within a journal that also contains subscription or entitled content.
Green Open Access
An author accepted manuscript is deposited in an institutional or subject repository, usually after an embargo period.
Diamond / No-Fee Open Access
Readers and authors pay no fees. Costs are covered by an institution, publisher, society or funding body.
Licensing & reuse
Clear rights, responsible reuse.
Creative Commons licences explain what readers can do with a work. The licence displayed on each article always governs its reuse.
CC BY 4.0
Attribution
Maximum reuse. Others may share, adapt and build upon the work, including commercially, with appropriate credit.
CC BY-NC 4.0
Attribution — NonCommercial
Reuse is permitted for non-commercial purposes with attribution. Commercial use requires separate permission.
CC BY-ND 4.0
Attribution — NoDerivatives
Others may share the work unchanged with attribution, but may not distribute adapted versions.
CC0
Public domain dedication
The creator waives copyright to the fullest extent possible, allowing unrestricted reuse.
Text and data mining: where a licence permits reuse, machine-readable metadata and full text can support text and data mining, systematic reviews and AI-assisted research workflows.
Funding & fees
Transparent costs and support.
Where an article processing charge applies, it is disclosed before submission. Waivers, discounts and institutional agreements may be available depending on the author's circumstances and funding.
- APC information shown before you commit to a publishing route.
- Waiver and discount consideration for eligible authors and institutions.
- Support for funder and institutional open-access policies.
Questions
Open access FAQs
Is all Access2Sciences content open access?
No. The platform includes open-access works alongside subscription and institutionally entitled content. Open-access articles are clearly marked with an Open Access badge and a licence statement.
Can I reuse an open-access article?
That depends on the licence shown on the article. A CC BY licence allows broad reuse with attribution. More restrictive Creative Commons licences may limit commercial use or adaptation.
Do authors have to pay to publish open access?
Some open-access routes involve an article processing charge (APC), while others are funded by institutions, agreements or waivers. APC information is provided before submission so authors can make an informed choice.
Does open access mean lower editorial standards?
No. Open-access articles go through the same rigorous peer review, editorial screening and production standards as other content on the platform.
How do I find open-access content?
Look for the Open Access badge in article and search listings. The licence and access status are also shown on the article page.
Can libraries and institutions support open access?
Yes. Institutions can support authors through read-and-publish agreements, APC funds, repository workflows and open-access education. Contact us to discuss institutional options.