You now know about preprints and the various types of Open Access, but how do you choose a journal and the right path for achieving Open Access? How do you determine the publishing fees, the so-called APC (Article Processing Charge), and what the preprint authorizations will be? What are the different ways to make your publications open?
Let us explore two use cases and paths to making your work openly available:
1. You want to publish in an Open Access journal, but have yet to determine which.
Open Access journals often charge APCs. TOSI offers an Open Access charge offset of $1500 per lab per year while funds are available. Please contact TOSI [at] mcgill.ca to enquire.
The 澳客竞彩 Library has a number of agreements with publishers to offer discounted or free Open Access, learn more here.
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2. You want to publish in a specific journal, which either has no Open Access option, or you won't pay听for the Article Processing Charge to make it Open Access.
As a 澳客竞彩 researcher or trainee, you can make most articles Open Access at no charge in the institutional eScholarship repository, in parallel with the published version (details below).
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Case 1- You want to publish in an Open Access journal, but have yet to determine which.
1. Identify adequate Open Access journals for your work. The 鈥淒irectory of Open Access Journals鈥� () [18] can help you in choosing Open Access听journals in your area(s)听of interest, and lists each journal APCs and other relevant information.
- For example, searching for 鈥渘eurology鈥澨齬eturns听more than 200 journals. Of those listed, 42 have the DOAJ seal, the mark of a journal that demonstrates the best practices in open access publishing.
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2. Once you have narrowed down your list to two or three different journals, you may want to verify if the听journal and publisher听allow you to deposit a听 (either the Submitted version, the Accepted version, or both), using the听 or the website [17] which lists preprints and Open Access policies by publisher and journal.
- Submitting to a preprint server will make your publication available faster (albeit in a non-peer-reviewed way). We all know that the submission and publication timeline can be quite long. Submitting to a preprint server can reduce that timeline by months or years.
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Case 2- You want to publish in a specific journal (e.g., Lancet Neurology), and will not pay for the Open Access APC.
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1. The Lancet Neurology () is a journal where a number of Neuro scientists have published their work in recent years. Lancet Neurology is a Hybrid Journal. Hybrid Open Access journals contain a mix of Open Access articles and Closed Access articles []. You can find this information on the website.
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2. Searching for The Lancet Neurology on Sherpa Romeo returns several pathways to make an article published in this journal Open Access. It is indicated that making the Published version Open Access on听the publisher's听website requires the payment of an APC. However, the publisher allows the Accepted version of the article to be Open Access in an institutional repository, at no charge.
- Embargo period: Sherpa Romeo听further indicates that this听publisher imposes NO embargo period between the publication date and the date at which the article can be available at an institutional repository. The embargo period听varies from journal to journal, and you should听verify听whether it complies with your funders'听Open Access policies.听听
- Preprint: Sherpa Romero also indicates whether听an article submitted to this publisher听can be deposited on a preprint server (most do).
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3. Once the article is accepted for publication, request a copy of the听Accepted version of the manuscript from the publisher and submit it to 澳客竞彩's Institutional repository [