What Open Access Means
Open access means published research is free to read online, without subscription or payment, and carries a licence permitting reuse with attribution.
Two components matter, and they are often confused. Free to read removes the price barrier. Licensed for reuse removes the permission barrier — the right to copy, redistribute, translate, text-mine and build upon the work. An article that is readable but carries no reuse licence is only half the way there.
Why It Exists
Under the subscription model, research largely funded by public money was sold back to the institutions that produced it, and was unavailable to anyone outside a subscribing library — practitioners, policymakers, smaller institutions, and researchers in less wealthy countries.
Open access addresses that by moving the cost away from the reader. It does not make publishing free; it changes who pays and when.
The Routes
| Route | Where it is published | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | An open access journal; final version free immediately | Author or funder, via a processing charge |
| Diamond / Platinum | An open access journal with no author charge | An institution, society or grant subsidises it |
| Green | A subscription journal, with a copy deposited in a repository | Nobody directly; may carry an embargo |
| Hybrid | A subscription journal, one article opened for a fee | Author or funder, on top of subscriptions |
| Bronze | Free to read on the publisher site, no reuse licence | Publisher discretion; can be withdrawn |
Licences
Creative Commons licences are the common vocabulary of open access:
- CC BY — reuse for any purpose with attribution. The most permissive commonly used, and the one most funders require.
- CC BY-SA — as CC BY, but derivatives must carry the same licence.
- CC BY-NC — non-commercial reuse only. "Commercial" is less clearly defined than authors expect.
- CC BY-ND — redistribution allowed, but no derivatives, which blocks translations and adaptations.
Check which licence a journal applies before submitting, particularly if a funder mandates a specific one.
Article Processing Charges
A gold open access journal typically recovers its costs through a charge levied after acceptance. What to check:
- The amount is published before you submit, not revealed afterwards
- It is payable only after an independent editorial decision
- What it covers — review, editing, DOI registration, hosting, preservation
- Whether waivers exist and how to apply before payment
- Whether your institution or funder has an arrangement that covers it
A charge collected before or during review should be treated as a warning sign — see how to spot a predatory journal.
Open Access Models Compared
IJCRT is gold open access under CC BY 4.0: free to read with no embargo, with a charge of ₹1501 / $59 payable only after acceptance.
Repository Deposit
Depositing a copy in your institutional or a subject repository costs nothing and adds a preservation copy outside the publisher's control. It also makes the work findable through repository harvesters.
Check which version you may deposit — submitted manuscript, accepted manuscript, or published version — and whether an embargo applies. Under CC BY, the published version may normally be deposited immediately.
Choosing a Route
- Check your funder's and institution's open access requirements first — they may mandate a licence or route.
- Check whether your institution has an agreement covering charges at your target journal.
- Assess the journal on peer review, ethics and transparency, not only on its access model.
- Confirm the licence, the charge and the deposit permissions before submitting, not after acceptance.
Misconceptions
| Belief | Reality |
|---|---|
| Open access means not peer reviewed | Access model and review model are independent. |
| Open access means low quality | Quality depends on editorial practice, not on who pays. |
| Paying a charge buys acceptance | In a properly run journal the decision precedes the invoice. |
| Authors lose copyright | Under CC BY, authors retain copyright and grant a licence. |
| All open access costs money | Diamond journals charge authors nothing. |
This journal's own position is set out on the open access policy page.
Quick Checklist
- Know the licenceCC BY 4.0 lets others reuse with attribution
- Know who paysAnd when — never before acceptance
- Keep your copyrightCheck the agreement you sign
- Archive your versionIf the journal permits it
Creative Commons Licences Compared
| Licence | Allows |
|---|---|
| CC BY | Any reuse with attribution |
| CC BY-SA | Reuse with attribution; adaptations under the same licence |
| CC BY-NC | Non-commercial reuse with attribution |
| CC BY-ND | Sharing without adaptation |
| CC0 | Public domain dedication |
Finding Legal Open Access Copies
- Check the publisher page — for an open access version
- Use Google Scholar “All versions” — for repository copies
- Use an open access browser extension — such as Unpaywall
- Ask the author — for a copy
Frequently Asked Questions
Is open access lower quality?
No. Quality comes from peer review and editorial standards, not from who pays. Judge an open access journal on its review process, ethics and transparency.
What does CC BY 4.0 mean?
Anyone may share and adapt the work, including commercially, as long as they credit the authors. It is the licence IJCRT uses.
Who pays for open access at IJCRT?
A one-time charge of ₹1501 (Indian authors) or $59 (foreign authors), payable only after acceptance. Readers pay nothing.
Which licence does IJCRT use?
IJCRT publishes under CC BY 4.0, which allows reuse with attribution.
Is open access the same as free to publish?
No. Open access is about reading; some journals charge authors a fee.
More Researcher Resources
This guide is part of the IJCRT Researcher Resources library — practical, verifiable guidance for authors and researchers, with no marketing claims attached.
Publish Your Research Paper in IJCRT
UGC and UGC-CARE approval, along with alignment with the latest UGC-CARE recommendations and guidelines. IJCRT is aligned with UGC's Suggested Parameters for Choosing Peer-Reviewed Journals.
IJCRT is a Transparent, Peer-Reviewed, Open Access Journal (Refereed Journal). Following the discontinuation of UGC and UGC-CARE journal listing alignment with the latest UGC-CARE recommendations and guidelines, IJCRT is aligned with UGC's Suggested Parameters for Choosing Peer-Reviewed Journals.
Useful pages on ijcrt.org
Keywords
Topics and search terms covered by this guide.
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