Open access (OA) refers to the availability of research outputs via the internet, such that any user can find, freely access, read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, link, crawl, mine and otherwise use and reuse the research outputs both manually and using automated tools. Any use or reuse is subject to full and proper attribution, and usually will have an appropriate licence, such as any of the options available through the Creative Commons suite of licences, and should not infringe any copyright to third-party material included in the research output. More information on copyright is available on the Copyright at UWA webpage. 

OA can incorporate the same features as traditional scholarly publishing including peer review, copy-editing and quality assurance. The primary difference is that the publisher does not charge for access to the journal or other type of publication. Anyone can read, copy, print, download or link to the publication free of charge.

• Open access makes research results freely available to anyone with an internet connection rather than keeping those results hidden behind a subscription paywall. 
• Open access takes your research to a wider audience and makes it easier for other researchers and the general community to find, read, engage with and cite your work.
• Evidence is emerging that open access publishing can increase citation rates. The Open Citation project provides a bibliography of studies demonstrating the relationship between open access and increased citation impact.
• Authors can retain copyright and reuse rights when publishing open access, giving you much greater control over your own work.
• Many authors need to meet open access requirements set by their funding body. Publishing open access satisfies this requirement.

Listen to UWA and other researchers discuss the importance of making research openly accessible:

There are various ways to publish open access, and how - and where - you publish OA will depend on whether you are publishing an article, book or journal. Three of the common "models" of OA publishing are described in the table below. 

The Publishing an OA article, Publishing an OA book and Publishing an OA journal tabs of this guide explain the different OA models for each publication type in more detail.

"Open Access Australasia (previously Australasian Open Access Strategy Group – AOASG) advocates for and supports practical initiatives on open access in Australia and New Zealand. They do this through raising awareness of why open access is important, collaboration regionally and internationally and by helping to build capacity and expertise within this region." See https://oaaustralasia.org/ for more information. 

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