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Library Research Methods: Open Access

How to locate Library Resources

What is Open Access?

Open Access Resources are research materials that have been made available to the general public, free of charge: data and datasets, books and articles, including scholarly research articles.  This is not the same thing as public domain works or those items that have fallen out of copyright protection; open-access authors have chosen to share freely so that anyone can use the works legally without permission or fees.  Open Access is part of a continuum ranging from completely closed, subscription/purchase-only access to completely open, no-barrier publishing. Open Access is not related to the quality of materials or the peer-review/non-peer-review status of the publications.

Open Access/Open Content Resources

What is Open Access?

What is open access? Nick Shockey and Jonathan Eisen take us through the world of open access publishing and explain just what it's all about. (8:23 min.)

Why should the Distance Learning, and the general Higher Education, community care about Open Access materials?

  • Open Access materials can be excellent resources to supplement online library materials. Many scholarly and peer-review journals have opened their back issues as open access, and others have converted partially or totally to open access for all issues.
  • Open Access materials can often be used when copyright restrictions might prevent the use of "traditional" materials in an online setting. While Open Access materials are, for the most part, still under copyright by their creators, most academic and educational use is permitted without permission. Even if copying is not permitted, open materials can usually be linked from an online syllabus or reading list. Be sure to check the copyright or permissions statement before use.
  • By Educators, For Educators - Many of the Open Access materials highlighted in these pages have been created specifically for educational use.

Further information on Open Access in general