Lunch-and-learn session - Navigating Open Access Publishing: Opportunities, Challenges, and Quality Checks

In the last years, the spreading of open access publications has significantly reshaped the research landscape. Wider and easier knowledge dissemination is probably the main positive effect of open access policies. Nowadays, researchers and readers from all over the world can publish or read articles with limited to no fees. New publishing groups and journals are surfacing, revitalising an almost frozen publishing environment.

While previous distortions are over, new ones are taking over. Indeed, in a fast-paced academic environment led by “publish or perish” pressures, the proliferation of paper mills and predatory journals jeopardises scientific integrity. In parallel, academic publishing companies need to find a balance between adopting the open access approach and maintaining their market share. One consequence is the rise of Article Processing Charges (APCs), which ultimately create new access barriers for researchers.

How to benefit from open access while preserving scientific integrity, then? This presentation will provide an overview of the opportunities provided by open access publications – while outlining the related risks. The talk will also propose some tips and quality checks that might help authors, but also readers, to navigate this perilous yet fascinating landscape.