Open Access and Journal Publication in the Social Sciences and the Humanities

Abstract

Open Access opens up many new opportunities for communication among researchers and can help to make research and research findings visible and accessible, thereby enhancing the impact of the work in question. This applies not least at the national level, particularly with regard to doctoral dissertatations, monographs, conference papers, journal articles, etc. What is needed are readily accessible high-profile channels of good quality, and the universities and members of the research community alike have a major responsibility in bringing these about. Reaching one’s target readers is decisive. A failure to establish that crucial link means failure for the entire endeavour; there can be no research communication, further accumulation of knowledge or broader collaboration without interested readers and users. Open Access can already point to many positive achievements — DOAJ, Directory of Open Access Journals, for example — that have opened doors and windows.