Lappeenranta – Lahti University of Technology LUT
Discussion
Started 19th Jan, 2021
Open access vs. subscription journals
What are the real differences between Open access and subscription journals? have open access journals a rigorous (or less) peer review process? What are the differences in article's quality, validity, and relevance. Also, what relationship would it have with the impact factor? is it relevant? I would like to know your opinion or experience.
Most recent answer
Dear Juan,
I think you forgot the most important question, what impact does e.g. open access journal offer for the author?
Bit of over simplification, but in general with open access journal, you as author will receive 3-10 times more readers for your content.
Depending on, did you select the right journal (audience) this will also translate to a higher count of references too.
1 Recommendation
Popular replies (1)
Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University
Both are perfect for publishing...
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All replies (14)
Qassim University
Juan Carlos Torrico , I believe the major difference relies in paying a certain amount of APC in most of the open access journals as compared to subscription journals. With regards to availability of a rigorous peer review process, it depends on the journal, some open access journals have rigorous peer review process too. There is a relation, in my opinion, with the impact factor, journals with impact factor have better peer review process that extends to several cycles, and if they are open access, they have high amount of APC requested.
1 Recommendation
Acoustics Research Center. Canada
In the case of subscription journals, individuals or institutions have to pay subscription charges to have access to the journal's content. In the case of open access journals, readers are not charged. They have free online access to the content. Good quality open access journals have a stringent peer-review process. It means that independent peers have assessed an article's quality, validity, and relevance within the field. Taylor & Francis journals are peer-reviewed, and the same goes for all reputable publishers. Also, all articles in open access journals published by Elsevier undergo peer review. The articles upon acceptance are made available instantly and permanently. Everyone can then read and download the article, free of charge. As with all journals, some open access journals have an Impact Factor, and others don't.
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Lappeenranta – Lahti University of Technology LUT
Other important part of the question is, how much total audience do you receive open vs. subscription journals?
On the other hand, if your aiming for publishing to reach specific researcher community, does subscription journals (which usually are part of University etc. libraries order sets) give you more the audience you aim for to read your paper, than open access journals?
B.R.,
Ari
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Acoustics Research Center. Canada
In my opinion research paper published in open access journals reach a large number of researchers/people as compared to research papers published in subscription journals, due to their easy access.
3 Recommendations
Lappeenranta – Lahti University of Technology LUT
Devinder raises good point. But if you are aiming to get your publication into the hands of well seasoned academics, who have superb busy, it is possible they mostly follow the semi high and high impact subscription journals publications (constantly).
So all in all, what I try to point is, you need to give good consideration for pros and cons for different option available for you, when choosing for the publishing channel.
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Acoustics Research Center. Canada
Yès Ari! Your point is valid too. I agree with your conclusion that one must give a good consideration (before submitting an article for publication) to the pros and cons of the different options available for publication.
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Instituto Agrario Bolivia
Another point perhaps to consider is the possibility of giving many researchers the possibility of free access to the articles. Personally, I always look for the open option first, and many times with regret I do not access some interesting publication.
Acoustics Research Center. Canada
Yah! That is an interesting point. But, ultimately, one has to make an appropriate choice depending on one's needs and preferences.
2 Recommendations
Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir
hi
Really interesting...for me not major difference because both of them are subjected to the peer review, production and publishing standards....both of them are tracked for impact factor....however only difference open access are kept freely available on internet and subscription require readers to pay for the content they read......
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Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir
Hi
Again i am saying articles published in open access undergo peer review and upon acceptance are immediately and permanently free for everyone to read and down;load, while subscription journals typically require readers to pay for the content that they read, but both of them are tracked for impact factor....not much difference i think
3 Recommendations
Lappeenranta – Lahti University of Technology LUT
There seems to be general expectation,
that the most valued journals are long lived and mostly behind paywall.
I'm not saying that open access journal and publication would some how automatically correlate to quality or the publication in journal behind paywall would either do that, BUT it seems there is sort of expectation that there would be a correlation.
On another hand, at least to me, this "general opinion" seems to be changing nowadays.
1 Recommendation
Shivaji University, Kolhapur
In case of subscription journals, individuals or institutions have to pay subscription charges to have access to the journals where as in open access journals there is free online access journal.
Lappeenranta – Lahti University of Technology LUT
Dear Juan,
I think you forgot the most important question, what impact does e.g. open access journal offer for the author?
Bit of over simplification, but in general with open access journal, you as author will receive 3-10 times more readers for your content.
Depending on, did you select the right journal (audience) this will also translate to a higher count of references too.
1 Recommendation
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