Open access

Open Access is the practice of making scholarly research results freely available online to the public, both within and outside academia, with the ultimate goal of maximising the impact of said research. Based on the principle that research financed with public funds should also be publicly available, the FWO requires that research results are published in Open Access (FWO General Regulations, article 2, paragraph 2).

Publishing in Open Access increases the visibility and use (as well as the number of citations) of scientific research. It promotes scientific progress, more inclusive knowledge sharing, the realisation of economical and societal impact, public engagement and facilitates collaboration.

The Open Access publication requirement applies to all FWO researchers, i.e. all holders of an FWO fellowship/project/grant who publish results achieved in whole or in part through funding by the FWO. In addition, the FWO aims to encourage these researchers to also publish their other works in Open Access. Although the FWO recommends that researchers publish all publications in Open Access form, the current regulations apply only and strictly to peer-reviewed journal articles (A1). Whether this requirement has been met, is checked during the evaluation of the scientific reports. If any A1-publications are not 'open' or 'embargoed', the report will be evaluated as 'insufficient’.

There are various ways in which researchers can publish their results in Open Access. The most conventional forms to be distinguished are as follows:

• Gold Open Access: When publishing in what is usually an online Open Access journal or on an Open Access publication platform, where all publications are by definition publicly accessible. Authors often have to pay an Article Processing Charge (APC);
• Diamond Open Access: A publication in what is usually an online Open Access journal or on an Open Access publication platform, where all publications are freely accessible to both the reader and the author(s). There are no costs for the author to publish. These journals and platforms are financially supported by various organizations such as universities, research institutions, funders, and governments;
• Green Open Access: When publishing in what is usually an online Open Access journal or on an Open Access publication platform, where the author self-archives the article – at least the ‘author accepted manuscript’ – in an online database. In Flanders, this is usually done by depositing the publication in the repository of the host institution;
• Hybrid Open Access: This refers to an optional Open Access publication in traditional journals for an additional fee.

Under the current FWO regulations, the choice is left to the discretion of the researcher. The FWO expects at least the Green Open Access format. Moreover, any costs that may be associated with publishing in Open Access can be charged as bench fees as part of the FWO funding. This applies not only to peer-reviewed journal articles (A1) but also to other types of publications, such as books.

As a result of various initiatives and the associated growing general awareness of this issue, the Open Access landscape features an increasing number of high quality journals. At the same time, however, there is also a dramatic rise in the number of so-called predatory journals. Many of these journals charge high publication fees without offering a (high quality) peer review in return. This method of publishing is therefore in direct conflict with scientific integrity within the FWO and, more specifically, with the European Code of Ethics for Research Integrity. To enable researchers to identify these predatory journals and select Open Access journals that meet minimum quality requirements, a number of online sources are available, such as the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Furthermore, it goes without saying that caution should be exercised at all times. A number of initiatives have been set up to guide researchers in this area, such as “Think. Check. Submit.