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Open access: Why open access?

What are the benefits of open access?

OA publishing contributes to democratizing science, enhancing scientific communication, and bridging disparities among research institutions in different countries. It is also a way to maks research findings accessible to various professional groups who need them but cannot afford expensive subscriptions, such as physicians at health centers in small municipalities. While the public may not always be able to engage with the specialized content of scientific articles, increased transparency can improve the legitimacy of research. Publishing research openly enhances the researcher’s visibility and readership and is essential for credibility.

Research has shown that open access (OA) publications are cited more frequently than articles in closed journals (e.g. Open Access Citation Advantage Overview/SPARC 2015).

Funders may also recommend, or even require, that research results are made freely available. For example, The Research Council of Finland and Horizon Europe stipulate immediate OA to scientific articles.

  • Read more in the section Funders' OA requirements.
  • The OA policies of many universiteties, higher education institutions and research funders are found in the ROARMAP database.

ÅAU guidelines for open access publishing for researchers

  • Researchers at Åbo Akademi University (employed and otherwise affiliated) publish teries, books, conference publications and reprints, as well as scholarly monographs. The default is to publish open access.
  • Scholarly publications produced at Åbo Akademi University are made openly available, either by;
    • the researcher choosing an open access publication channel, or
    • the researcher self-archiving a peer-reviewed manuscript version in AboCRIS (green OA).
    • If high-quality OA publication channels do not exist and self-archiving is not possible, deviations from the principle of open access publishing may be considered.
  • ÅAU researchers prioritise publication channels that allow Creative Commons licenses. CC-BY is primarily recommended for maximum dissemination, but more restrictive licenses can be used when justified.
  • Researchers are recommended to publish their scholarly edited volumes and monographs as open access.
  • All scholarly publications are self-archived in Åbo Akademi University’s research portal AboCRIS as close to the publication date as possible. If the publisher’s standard policy requires an embargo, researchers should claim the right to embargo-free access to the peer-reviewed manuscript as a requirement by their organisation in the submission process.
  • For co-authored publications, ÅAU-affiliated co-authors are to ensure their right to self-archive.
  • ÅAU researchers share preprints on relevant preprint servers when appropriate in their field of research.
  • Other types of publications are also published as openly as possible. Researchers at Åbo Akademi University disseminate their research and research outcomes, for example in professional journals and popular science publications, and via in mass media.

The guidelines for open access publishing are part of the ÅAU open science policy (2023).

International guidelines for open access


This guide by Åbo Akademi University Library is licensed under CC BY 4.0