Publishing open access: considerations for responsible engagement

Abstract

Scholarly contributions commonly involve descriptive sharing of research findings with reference to the critical evaluation of the existing body of knowledge. Journal articles, conference papers, books and book chapters, etc., are popular modes of publishing, which could be subscription-based or open-access. Typically, subscription-based systems publishing requires the reader to bear the costs, in contrast to authors taking care of the expenses in open-access. Ensuring sufficient visibility to promote accessing articles in a subscription-based model seems challenging when research information is readily available via open access at no cost for the reader. Improved accessibility due to technological advancements and authors inclined to shoulder the financial burden is becoming a trend, where responsible engagement with open access publishing is essential to avoid being a victim. Hence, some insights into open access publishing have been presented in this article to empower scholars.