Here are five common misconceptions about OA and the reasons why it should be your first choice for publication.

Myth one: Open access means low quality

All OA article and book submissions to Cambridge go through the same peer review and publication process as non-OA submissions.

Myth two: Open access is too expensive for me

We have publishing agreements with many institutions that mean you may be able to submit your work OA without paying a fee. Journals may also waive OA fees if you are unable to pay.

Email oaqueries@cambridge.org  to find out more.

Myth three: There’s no benefit to me

OA content is freely available online, not hidden behind a paywall, meaning increased discoverability and usage, and higher citations and downloads for your work.

Myth four: I’m giving up all my copyrights

OA articles in our fully Gold OA and hybrid journals are published under Creative Commons (CC) licences, meaning you retain the original copyright to your work while enabling readers to freely access and re-distribute your article. Our OA books are also published under a CC licence.

Myth five: Paying for an article means instant acceptance

There are many less reputable publications (so called ‘predatory journals’) who will request payment up front for publication, but payment for all OA journal articles at Cambridge is only taken after peer review and acceptance.