The open-access.net platform aims to meet the growing demand for information on the subject of Open Access (OA). Our editorial team gathers information which is scattered across many sources and bundles it thematically for presentation to various target groups.
The information platform has been extended and now also offers country-specific Swiss content. While the adaptation of the platform to the needs of users in Switzerland mainly involved the inclusion of country-specific content about legal issues related to Open Access, it also included other measures such as mentioning organisations and projects that actively promote Open Access in Switzerland. To access this country-specific content, which is available in both German and English, just click on the Swiss flag (above right). The platform will also integrate country-specific content for visitors from Austria in the near future.
Since we wish to progressively expand and optimise open-access.net in response to user needs and feedback, we welcome your input. So please don't hesitate to send us an E-Mail if you have any questions, comments or suggestions.
You are also welcome to participate in the current debate on OA by joining our experts forum which takes the form of a moderated mailing list.
The Open-Access-Netzwerk project's search service OAN-Suche, which covers all DINI-certified repositories, has been integrated into open-access.net. As a result, you can now search for Open Access publications directly from the information platform. The search facility is located at the bottom of the left navigation bar under Searches.
What exactly is Open Access? Open Access (OA) stands for unrestricted, toll-free online access to scientific and scholarly knowledge and information. On open-access.net you will find information about the key concepts and main forms of OA, for example on Open Access journals and repositories, the origins of the Open Access movement, business models and legal issues.
Open Access is a very topical and forward-looking issue and a movement which enjoys great support worldwide. Arguments in favour of OA include the increased visibility – and accordingly the greater impact – of openly accessible scholarly and scientific texts. On the other hand, a number of reservations about OA have been voiced, for example concerning problems relating to the persistence and findability of digital data.
Our information platform offers users the opportunity to approach OA from a thematical, discipline-specific and/or a role-specific perspective (for example as author, journal publisher etc). Moreover, in the FAQ section, the thematical and role-specific approaches can be combined, thus making it possible to obtain information and support quickly on specific questions.
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the Helmholtz Association, the Leibniz Association and the Max Planck Society have their own web pages on open-access.net where they provide information on their OA activities.