Celebrating Open Access Week here at Peter Lang Group, we asked our dedicated Open Access team to explore what Open Access means to Peter Lang in 2024.
- What Open Access Means to Peter Lang
As a longstanding advocate for Open Access (OA) publishing, the Peter Lang Group has consistently supported and enhanced the dissemination of academic research. With over 2,000 Open Access titles published to date, we remain committed to offering innovative and accessible OA models that empower both authors and the academic community.
- Opening a World of Knowledge
At Peter Lang, we are dedicated to breaking down barriers to research. Open Access allows knowledge to reach a broader audience, while also fostering greater visibility, engagement, and collaboration across the global academic landscape. Studies show that OA publications receive higher viewership, citation rates, and downloads compared to traditional, restricted-access titles. This aligns with our mission to promote knowledge sharing and advance academic discourse.
- Gold Open Access: A Key Offering
Our Gold Open Access model ensures that research is freely accessible to all, immediately upon publication. Authors and editors can publish their work for a fee, often funded by research grants or institutions, under an agreed Creative Commons (CC) license. This ensures that copyright remains with the author, while their work benefits from Peter Lang’s full distribution network, discoverability, and our rigorous peer review standards—just like any of our traditional publications.
- The Launch of Open EBA
In our ongoing efforts to innovate, Peter Lang recently introduced the Open Evidence-Based Acquisition (Open EBA) model. Open EBA integrates a successful library acquisition approach with a streamlined method for funding OA monographs. This model provides libraries access to our entire catalogue, enabling them to either purchase highly used titles or fund Open Access monographs. We see this as a vital step toward helping more institutions adopt OA publishing.
- Commitment to the Future of Open Access
Peter Lang’s Open Access initiatives go beyond simply offering publication models—they reflect our commitment to fostering constructive dialogue between researchers, libraries, funders, and publishers. We are continuously exploring new approaches and business models to ensure that Open Access evolves in a way that benefits the entire academic ecosystem.
By focusing on accessibility, discoverability, and compliance with funder mandates, we aim to make high-quality research freely available to everyone, ensuring that the academic community can continue to grow and thrive.
- What’s Next?
As part of Open Access Week, we are excited to reaffirm our commitment to Open Access. Through initiatives like Open EBA, we aim to make Open Access a cornerstone of academic publishing. Stay tuned for upcoming promotions, collaborations, and new developments.
For more information, visit our Open Access page or contact our editorial team at openaccess@peterlang.com.