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Strategic Publishing: Open Access Publishing

This guide includes information on the latest Otago's Open Access Agreements and Read & Publish Agreements, and how to choose the right journal and publishing pathway. Guidance is also provided on responsible and ethical publishing practices.

Why Open Access?

Open Access refers to the practice of providing unrestricted online access to scholarly research and publications, allowing anyone to read, download, and share academic work without paywalls or subscription fees.

OA opens up access to knowledge – it makes research findings available to anyone who has access to the internet. It means that information is not restricted by financial or other barriers. OA is also a growing requirement from funding agencies.

Open access publications:

  • Are more likely to be read and cited.
  • Benefit readers such as community groups, public policy makers, and educators who cannot access research behind paywalls.
  • Are free of most copyright and licensing restrictions, so authors retain more rights.

Open Access publishers:

  • Do not always charge author fees (Article Processing Charges or APCs).
  • Should meet the same quality and ethics criteria as publishers using a conventional business model.

Models of Open Access

There are four common models of OA publishing: 

'Gold' open access (Gold OA) means your work is freely and immediately available upon publication. It may involve an APC. Talk to your HOD about payment of APCs.

'Hybrid' journals (Hybrid OA) are subscription journals in which authors can pay an APC to make their articles OA. The rest of the journal content remains behind a paywall. 

'Green' open access (Green OA), aka self-archiving, is free. It means depositing a version of your work, e.g. accepted manuscript, in a discipline-based or institutional repository, such as Otago's OUR Archive. Green OA will meet the requirements of funding agencies with an OA policy. 

'Diamond' open access (Diamond OA) articles are free. Funding comes from academic institutions, grants, or organisations. No APC fees make this model especially equitable for researchers from low-resource settings.

Model Cost to Authors Cost to Readers Embargo Period Typical Copyright Model
Gold Yes (APC) Free None Often CC licence
Hybrid Maybe (APC) Subscribed (unless OA) None if OA Often CC licence if OA
Green Free Free Often applies Often copyright with the publisher
Diamond Free Free None Often CC licence

Use the Open Access Toolkit before Submission

 

The Open Access Toolkit for Aotearoa New Zealand Researchers is a practical toolkit designed to help researchers navigate the world of open access publishing.

It offers clear guidance (infographics, tips, checklists) on how to make research more accessible, outlining key concepts like open licencing, copyright considerations, and where to publish openly.

The toolkit also provides tips for increasing research visibility and ensuring compliance with funder and institutional policies.

It’s an excellent resource for researchers looking to share their work widely while retaining control over their intellectual property.

Publish OA Work at Otago

During the past 5 years, 58% of the publications at the University of Otago were Open Access (Year range: 2020-2024, retrieved by SciVal). This number is increasing. The OA Dashboard (created by Tom Saunders, using OpenAlex data) shows in April 2025 Otago has 67% of its publications are Open Access. 

Click here to read the University of Otago Open Access Policy.

See also the Open Otago blog.

There are many different ways you can publish Open Access at the University of Otago, see the OA Opportunities at Otago page for further information  

If you have any queries regarding OA publications or the content of the OA policy at Otago, contact the Copyright & Open Access Manager for support.