Open Access

Before publishing in an Open Access Journal you should consider the following criteria:

• Is the journal is indexed in an established and reputable database such as Web of Knowledge, Scopus or Academic Search Complete? A complete list of databases provided by the library is available here.
   
• Examine the journal's website for such information as affiliation with a university or professional organization, editorial board credentials, or acceptance rates.  If you have doubts, contact members of the editorial board or article authors.
   
• Are publishing fees and copyright ownership clearly indicated?
   
• Is the journal or publisher included in Jeffrey Beall's list of predatory publishers?
   
• Is the publisher a member of a reputable industry organization such as Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association or the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)?

The advent of open access publishing has resulted in the removal of printing barriers. Now assembly and dissemination of information requires little more than Internet access. Unfortunately, this has led to a proliferation of open access publishers with little or no subject expertise and of questionable repute. Scholars and researchers may receive email solicitations for fee-based paper submissions to journals that make false or misleading claims about the stringency of their peer-review process, members of their editorial board or indexing status.

• Jeffrey Beall, a librarian at the University of Colorado, critically analyzes OA journals and provides a useful list of questionable publishers.
   
• The Committee on Publication Ethics is "a forum for editors and publishers of peer reviewed journals to discuss all aspects of publication ethics."
   
• The Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association is a forum for open access publishers.  Membership is vetted and can be an indication of publisher quality.