“Open access: six myths to put to rest”

Since writing my post on Open Access, this article by Peter Suber, the director of the Harvard Office for Scholarly Communication, was brought to my attention. In response to what are described as six “common and harmful misunderstandings about open access”, the author notes that:

1. (Gold) Open Access journals are not the only venue for providing open access to peer-reviewed articles;
2. More than two thirds of open access journals do not charge publication fees;
3. Most publication fees are paid by research funders or universities, rather than the authors themselves;
4. Traditionally published articles can be made available available under (Green) Open Access;
5. Many, though not all, Open Access journals are excellent in quality;
6. The demand by funding agencies to make research available under Open Access is compatible with academic freedom.

It is a compelling article, and anyone interested in the Open Access debate is strongly encouraged to read it:

Open access: six myths to put to rest

Featured Image: Stockholm Public Library (Wikipedia)