Best Practices and Navigating the Effects of Open Access Journals in Scholastic Publication

Abstract

Open access (OA) journals have transformed the academic publication to a different realm, which was unfathomable years ago. The early 1990s witnessed OA journals founded by individual scholars which are now in the hands of major publication players using them as another disruptive business model. The benefits of an OA system outweigh its disadvantages. Growth in accessibility, visibility, citations, and impact on research work are some of the promising outcomes of OA. Though it has been contemplated as an inevitable element in scholastic writing for a long time, there are many misconceptions loaded with open access. The present study aims to navigate into the perceptions of open access journals among researchers intriguing into the fine clauses established in the scholarly publication arena. The chapter also intends to examine the features of major publishing houses in a global perspectives and probe into the best practices of open access from different publishing houses in an effort to enhance the overall capacity of the open access and to create a knowledge-based economy.