Does open access lead to an overall lack of quality and prestige?
Answer
No. Open access does not result in an overall lack of quality. Most publishers apply the same standards and procedures for both open access and non-open access titles, from editorial processes such as peer review, to production processes including design and typesetting. Inclusion in either the DOAJ (journals) DOAB (books) indicates that a publisher has met quality standards. Alternatively, if a publisher is not included in either the DOAJ or DOAB, but displays OASPA membership, this ensures that they have shown a strong commitment to quality.
Prestige is a different matter and can differ between disciplines and even individual researchers. However, it is important to note that many institutions, including Illinois Tech, are signatories to DORA, the principles of which emphasize the quality of research rather than the prestige of the publisher or brand. Furthermore, major funders are beginning to require open access.
Attribution: This FAQ is adapted from OAPEN's Common myths about open access page (accessed Mar 2023) thanks to a Creative Commons license.
This FAQ is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.