Open Access (OA) publishing has moved from a niche movement to a global mandate. In 2026, major funders including the NIH, Wellcome Trust, and European Research Council require OA publication as a condition of funding. Understanding the landscape is no longer optional.
Gold Open Access
Articles are published immediately in an OA journal or as an OA article in a subscription journal (hybrid). The author or their institution pays an Article Processing Charge (APC). The article is freely available to all readers from day one.
Green Open Access (Self-Archiving)
Authors deposit a version of their article (usually the accepted manuscript) in an institutional or subject repository such as PubMed Central or arXiv. This is often free but may be subject to embargo periods.
Diamond Open Access
Journals funded by academic institutions or societies that charge neither authors nor readers. Growing in popularity in the humanities and social sciences.
Understanding Your Rights: Copyright vs Licensing
Under traditional publishing, authors typically sign over copyright to the publisher. Under OA models, Creative Commons licences (especially CC BY) allow anyone to read, share, and reuse the work with attribution.
Plan S and Funder Mandates
cOAlition S (Plan S) requires that research funded by participating organisations must be published in compliant OA journals or platforms from 2021 onwards. Check your funder's specific requirements before choosing a journal.