Alternative Ways of Obtaining Scholarly Articles and the Impact on Traditional Publishing Models from a UK/European Perspective

Abstract

This column examines the growth and impact of open access (OA) with emphasis on a UK/European perspective. It considers the various colors of OA and the impact on authors, institutions, and funders and speculates on the future of traditional academic publishing. The author considers the pros and cons of a variety of OA methods—including the so-called guerrilla OA services and sites—and discusses the current mandates in place for the UK's upcoming Research Excellence Framework exercise, which will report back on the research outputs produced in universities between 2014 and 2020.