About Open Access

What is open access publishing?

Open access publishing provides free, online access to research and scholarship.

What does open access publishing look like at AU Press?

AU Press publishes original peer-reviewed scholarship and make these works freely available on our website. AU Press follows a diamond open access model, which refers to the free, immediate, and permanent online access to a publication’s version of record.

Readers can access AU Press books in multiple formats. Each title can be read online, downloaded as a free PDF, or purchased as a print book.

Why should I choose to publish in open access with AU Press?

AU Press was the first open access press established in Canada. We have a long history of publishing in open access and well-established processes designed to support our authors from proposal to publication and beyond.

Publishing with AU Press allows your research to reach broadly across the globe without paywall or other access barriers. As a university press committed to contributing to the public good, we promote open access as a way to reach a wide variety of communities, enrich education, and spark new collaborations.

Due to the generous support of our parent institution, Athabasca University—an institution with an open education mandate that actively seeks ways to reduce barriers to education—we can evaluate projects solely based on their scholarly merit.

Publishing with AU Press comes with additional benefits:

• Not-for-profit publishing model: Our not-for-profit status assures authors that neither they nor their work will be used to produce financial gain for the Press, nor will it co-opt the original intentions of the open access movement by monetizing it.
• Increased visibility and impact: Open access books are downloaded more often, have more diverse readership, and collect more citations than non-OA books. Learn more about the statistics behind open access in this 2021 report from Insights.
• Long-term discoverability: Usage of open access books persists over a longer period than non-OA books, ensuring that your research continues to have an impact years after publication.
• Commitment to accessibility: Our ebooks meet the highest standards of digital accessibility. Our commitment to access also influences how we price print and other digital editions of our books.

What is the peer review process at AU Press?

AU Press is committed to rigorous peer review and publishing works of scholarly, intellectual, and creative merit.  Our publications undergo single-blind peer review by at least two experts. The reports and the author’s response are then presented to the AU Press editorial committee, which makes a publishing recommendation to the Press. The decision to publish rests with the Press.

Does publishing in open access make my work vulnerable to misuse?

AU Press allows authors and editors to retain copyright of their work. We release all our publications under a Creative Commons license. The majority of AU Press publications are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). This license encourages users to download and share material with others, as long as it is properly attributed and there is no charge for its use.

How much does it cost to publish an open access monograph?

Open access material is freely accessible but not free to produce. AU Press’s publication process does not differ from other university presses. Therefore, the costs associated with publication are similar. For a useful report on the average costs of producing open access scholarly monographs, see the AUPresses report on “The Cost to Publish TOME Monographs.”

Does AU Press require me to bring funding for my book?

AU Press accepts subvention from a variety of sources, but funding has no influence on our decision to publish a work. When appropriate, we work with our authors to seek funding and secure support from a variety of sources.

Will my open access AU Press book be available in print?

Yes. In addition to making our books freely available on our website, we offer readers the choice of a print edition and/or access to the publication on several digital platforms.

Our commitment to print offers authors scholarly authority, accessibility, and a vast distribution network that extends beyond the channels of the internet and into bookstores, public and academic libraries, and other physical spaces.