BioMed Central pioneered the open access publishing model fifteen years ago, and since then it has continued to expand, adopted by several scientific publishers to distribute research much more easily and widely (every scientist’s dream!).

So what is open access all about?

Open access has grown immensely since it started fifteen years ago and it doesn’t show any signs of stopping.

Open access has grown immensely since it started fifteen years ago and it doesn’t show any signs of stopping.

If you happen to be new to open access, here’s a brief overview that we hope will help clear any queries you may have…

Open access publications are freely available online to anyone with an internet connection, maximising the visibility of research and thus the use of the work published. Such use, distribution and reproduction of open access articles in any medium is permitted, provided the author is properly attributed.

The many benefits of open access for researchers include high quality peer review, speedy publication, no space constraints and compliance with the open access mandates that are being adopted by a growing range of funding sources and academic institutions. In addition, the authors also retain copyright of their work.

The key difference to the traditional subscription-based publishing model is that instead of charging readers to read the articles they want to read, an article processing charge is applied for authors to publish their work.

To mark the beginning of International Open Access Week 2015, we’ve launched this new video where you can learn more about BioMed Central’s open access story:

The theme for this week

International Open Access Week runs from 19-25 October and since 2012 there has been an official theme set for the week. Previous years have focused on; setting the default to open access, redefining impact and the generation of open research. This year the limelight is on the collaborations surrounding open access; ‘open for collaboration’.

So this got us thinking about who we collaborate with to make open access work at BioMed Central. How do we collaborate with researchers so that they publish open access? How do we collaborate with reviewers to ensure high quality peer review? How do we collaborate with editors to ensure high standard publications? How do these collaborations come together to provide the best service to all those involved?

What have we got planned?

Stay tuned for all our open access activities over this week!

Stay tuned for all our open access activities over this week, including a timeline looking at the history of open access, the influence of open access on the developing world, myths surrounding open access, how societies work with an open access publisher, and more.

And how clued up are you on open access? We will also be testing your knowledge with a quiz, so make sure you keep an eye out for that too.