Open access

What is open access?<div>Open access(OA) can be defined as free, immediate, online access to the results of scholarly research, and the right to use and re-use these results. </div> What is "gold" open access? Publishers make research articles immediately and freely available in peer-reviewed journals. Article Processing Charges (APC) to cover publication costs may apply. What is "green" open access? Authors agree for their published article to be made freely available in an institutional repository. Embargoes may apply depending on the publishers' policies. What are the benefits of open access? Accelerated discovery, increased visibility of research output, public interest and enrichment and overall improved education are just some of the benefits of OA. <h3> </h3><h3>Definitions</h3>Pre-print Any version of a scholarly article prior to peer review and publication, usually the version submitted by an author to a journal. Pre-prints are usually not accepted in institutional repositories as they are not peer-reviewed. Post-print The final version of the accepted manuscript of a scholarly article with the incorporation of revisions and may or may not include formatting, layout and pagination changes after copy-editing. Published journal article or Publisher's version The version of the article that appears in the journal and includes all publisher activities such as copy-editing, formatting and pagination. Article processing charge (APC) A publisher's fee for covering the publishing costs associated with e.g. editorial and peer-review processes. Institutional repository (IR) A digital archive for the preservation and dissemination of research output of an institution, e.g. theses, dissertations, research articles and conference proceedings. <a href="http://scholar.sun.ac.za/" target="_blank">SUNScholar</a> is the institutional repository of Stellenbosch University. <h3>Stellenbosch University Self-Archiving Policy</h3>What does the policy require? The policy requires that full-text copies of published journal articles or conference proceedings of authors with a formal affiliation with SU are hosted in SUNScholar (institutional repository). What should I submit to the institutional repository? <ul><li>Full-text (PDF format) of published journal article (publisher's version) in compliance with the policy of the publisher.</li><li>Full-text (PDF format) of post-print (final peer-reviewed manuscript with the incorporation of revisions) in compliance with the policy of the publisher.</li><li>Full-text (PDF format) of peer-reviewed conference paper in compliance with the policy of the publisher. </li></ul>How do I submit? <ul><li>Contact your <a href="/en-za/AboutUs/ContactUs/Pages/fbs.aspx">Faculty Librarian</a> who can submit on your behalf, or,</li><li>Submit your research output yourself by sending an e-mail to <a href="mailto:%20scholar@sun.ac.za">scholar@sun.ac.za</a> requesting to register as a submitter or following the steps set out on our <a href="http://wiki.lib.sun.ac.za/index.php/SUNScholar" target="_blank">help page</a>.</li><li>One individual may also submit on behalf of a department after they have been registered and have all the necessary information to complete the citation.</li></ul> Where can I get assistance regarding submission of my articles? Enquiries may be directed to your <a href="/en-za/AboutUs/ContactUs/Pages/fbs.aspx">Faculty Librarian</a> or the <a href="/en-za/Research/oa/Pages/Contact.aspx">Digitisation and Digital Services Division.</a> Where can I look up a publisher or journal policy? <ul><li>Go directly to the journal or publisher website, or,</li><li>Consult the <a href="http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/" target="_blank">SHERPA RoMEO</a> or <a target="_blank" href="http://rchive.it/">rchivit</a> databases of publisher policies on archiving research papers in institutional repositories, or,</li><li>A list of journals, in which SU researchers regularly publish in, with their respective policies regarding self-archiving can be consulted <a href="/SiteCollectionDocuments/services/journalpolicies2015.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>. </li></ul>May I still place my previously published papers onto the repository? Yes, you may, provided that you still have the post-print or other applicable version of the research output in question. In which format should I submit my paper? Only PDF formats will be hosted on an IR, as the format allows for long term preservation. What about my copyright? Authors are urged to retain copyright of their material of which SU is the copyright owner and encouraged to sign a "licence to publish" which will allow authors to deposit a copy of their article in SUNScholar This is usually done by adding an "author addendum" to the publisher's copyright transfer agreement. An example can be found <a target="_blank" href="http://wiki.lib.sun.ac.za/images/3/36/Licence_to_publish.pdf">here</a>. What about embargo? Some publishers and journals require an embargo period before archived copies of articles may be opened up on and IR and provide clear instructions on the issue. Embargoes will automatically be lifted on the IR on the applicable date. Can I negotiate beforehand that my published article will be appearing on an IR? You can inform the journal or publisher that you will be hosting a copy on your institution's repository. Please also refer to the question on copyright above. How will a copy hosted on SUNScholar affect my research impact? If anything, it will increase your visibility on the internet and the research paper on SUNScholar will indicate the correct citation and URL link to the original publisher's website. How does one cite from the IR? You do not cite the IR itself, but the research paper as if it was on the original journal or publisher's website, as will be indicated on the item in <a href="/en-za/Research/oa/Pages/SUNScholar.aspx">SUNScholar</a>

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Open Access - FAQs