Open Access publishing makes academic research (journals, books, datasets) free to read and share online, with limited copyright and licensing restrictions.
There are numerous benefits for society in ensuring that research is open to all. It can increase the transparency around research findings and broaden access to timely knowledge. The guidelines show how Open Access can also help researchers and publishers to increase the citation and discoverability of their research.
The guidelines (see separate links below for publishers and authors) provide information, advice and practical steps for publishers and authors to meet national and international standards and requirements for Open Access publishing. They explain the different models of Open Access and de-mystify key terms and jargon. They provide a step-by-step guide to Open Access publishing across key areas including platforms and technology, copyright and licensing, peer review, digital preservation, and funding models and requirements.
The PublishOA.ie project has led the development of the guidelines in consultation with publishers and authors. They support Ireland’s goal to achieve 100% Open Access to research publications by 2030 as set out in the National Action Plan for Open Research, 2022-2030, which was prepared by Ireland’s National Open Research Forum (NORF) as part of national strategic priorities for research and innovation under Impact 2030: Ireland's Research and Innovation Strategy.
The PublishOA.ie research consortium has 10 partners and is co-led by the Royal Irish Academy and the Trinity Long Room Hub Arts & Humanities Research Institute. There are eight affiliate organisations.
Commenting on the guidelines, Ruth Hegarty, project lead of PublishOA.ie and the Managing Editor of the Royal Irish Academy said: "for authors and publishers new to open access publishing, these guidelines provide pointers on what you need to consider and where to find more information. PublishOA recognises that small Irish publishers and individual researchers need more support to navigate a rapidly changing landscape. We invite publishers and authors to get in touch with comments on the guidelines which will be updated at the end of the project."
Professor Eve Patten, Director of the Trinity Long Room Hub stated: "we welcome the publication of these guidelines as a valuable step in creating a national response to the Open Access publishing revolution and to supporting Irish research scholarship into the future."
Guidelines for Publishers: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11235895
Guidelines for Authors: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11236652
To find out more about the PublishOA Project, click here.