As mentioned above, one way to make your work open access is by depositing it in an open access repository or archive ("green OA"). There are two types of repositories:1) Institutional repositories (IR) aim to capture the research output associated with particular institutions, usually universities.
Example: AUB ScholarWorks collects, publishes and preserves research publications produced by scholars at The American University of Beirut.
2) Subject-based repositories (SR) seek to collect digital works within particular disciplines.
Examples: The Forced Migration Research Archive (FMRA) was launched in September 2023 as a place for forced migration authors to deposit their research. The Social Science Research Network (SSRN) is frequently used by forced migration authors who focus on legal issues. More generally, HAL SHS archives and disseminates scholarly literature in the human and social sciences.
If you are not affiliated with an academic institution or if your institution does not yet have an IR, consider taking advantage of an SR.
Repositories host all types of research output - conference papers, theses and dissertations, course materials, blog posts, multimedia, data files, and eprints of journal articles - both unpublished or published, unrefereed or peer-reviewed. The practice of depositing digital documents into a repository is referred to as "self-archiving."
One of the best-kept secrets of scholarly publishing is that most journal publishers already allow some form of self-archiving of article eprints (pre- and postprints)! What about copyright? Since a preprint is the pre-published, pre-referreed draft of a journal article, the author holds copyright over this version and does not need to seek permission to archive it. A postprint is the version of an article after it has been accepted by a journal and undergone peer review (also referred to as the "Author's Accepted Manuscript"). Over 70% of journal publishers have given the go-ahead to authors to archive postprints; if one hasn't already, it very likely will when asked. (Authors can also propose modifying the publisher's copyright transfer agreement using an addendum.) Therefore, as this handout points out, "Don’t assume that publishing in a conventional or non-OA journal forecloses the possibility of providing OA to your own work--on the contrary."
At the same time, many conventional journal publishers impose embargoes, or delays, before postprints can formally be made available to the public (not preprints, since authors maintain copyright over these). Embargo periods may range from 6 to 24 months after an article is officially published. In these situations, authors can still proceed with depositing their postprints and providing the requisite metadata to the repository. Even if full-text access is closed for a certain period, this does not restrict individuals from submitting requests to the repository for copies to be used for research purposes. Once the embargo period has passed, access can be reset to open.
Some authors elect to bypass repositories and post eprints on their personal web sites. This certainly works in the short-term - and in some cases may be the only option, if a journal's policy prohibits self-archiving in a repository. However, the advantage of a repository is it can ensure persistent access to and long-term preservation of an author's research.
For recent examples of self-archived pre- and post-prints, browse through the references under "Green OA" in the monthly Open Access Round-ups posted on my other blog.
Resources:
- See this Explainer on self-archiving postprints.
- Use openDOAR to locate an open access repository.
- Check this list from the Open Access Directory for subject repositories.
- Read up on the benefits of repositories.
- Search in the SHERPA/RoMEO database for publishers' copyright and self-archiving policies.
- Take a closer look at the self-archiving policies of forced migration-related journals.
- Check this list from the Open Access Directory for subject repositories.
- Read up on the benefits of repositories.
- Search in the SHERPA/RoMEO database for publishers' copyright and self-archiving policies.
- Take a closer look at the self-archiving policies of forced migration-related journals.
- Refer to this short guide on how to obtain your postprint from the publisher.
- Use this tookit to learn how to keep track of the different versions of your article.
- Use this tookit to learn how to keep track of the different versions of your article.