Open access (OA) means scholarly outputs are available to readers without a subscription paywall. In Gold OA the article is open on publication, often funded by an APC paid by the author or institution. In Green OA the article may appear in a subscription journal while the author archives an allowed version (often the accepted manuscript) in an institutional or subject repository under publisher rules.
OA does not replace peer review. Legitimate OA journals can be rigorously reviewed; predatory journals also sell “OA + fast accept + APC” packages. Paying an APC is not buying quality. Diamond/platinum OA models without APCs also exist. Licenses (CC BY and others) define reuse—read attribution and derivative rules.
Funders and universities increasingly mandate OA. Frameworks such as Plan S may require specific OA routes. In Turkey, national policy and library transformative agreements may cover APCs—ask your institution before submitting. A preprint can be an early OA strategy piece but is not the same as journal OA.
When choosing a journal, weigh OA model, APC, waivers, indexing, and predatory risk together. The predatory-journals entry covers APC traps; peer review is the quality spine. “Completely free journal” pitches sometimes hide fees or weak quality—demand transparency.
When you use Open access in a dossier or journal choice, state the year, official source, and category or collection name when relevant. Cross-reading related entries in this glossary prevents slogan-only explanations and produces verifiable wording that matches how committees and funders actually read evidence.