Open science has become a major concern for the scientific community. It aims to make research results accessible to all, without financial barriers. In this context, Green Open Access, also known as the “green way”, represents an increasingly popular approach to sharing scientific articles freely. While the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) has adhered to Plan S in 2021 and modernized its Open Access policy in 2022, the three federal councils (SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR) have recently announced the revision of their policy in the coming year. We’re heading in the right direction! In this post, we explore what Green Open Access / voie verte is and show you how to find journals respecting this approach, using the UK website Sherpa.
What is Green Open Access?
The green route offers researchers the possibility of depositing digital versions of their scientific articles in public archives (institutional repositories, personal sites, etc.), thus enabling free and open access to their work. In addition to being able to share their discoveries without encountering financial barriers, the green route can enable authors, in the same way as the golden route, to comply with the open access policies of their institution or funding body. Beware, however, that the requirements of these policies may also include clauses on copyright.
How can I find Green Open Access journals?
There are several sites where you can find green-lane journals. One of the best known is the British site Sherpa, launched in 2002 to support the creation of open-access institutional repositories in British universities. Since then, it has been used by many countries as a decision-making tool. It has just been updated.
Searching is easy!
1. Access the Sherpa website: https: //beta.sherpa.ac.uk/
2. Enter the title of the review or keywords relevant to your theme. Depending on what you enter, you’ll get either a review or a list of options.
4. Analyze the results: Sherpa will provide you with detailed information on each journal’s open access policy for published, accepted and submitted versions. Check whether the journal offers green-lane options in allowing articles to be deposited in open archives in “Locations”. In the example below, The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry offers the possibility of publishing accepted versions on the author’s site, institutional repositories, an institutional site, among others. This is subject to certain conditions mentioned under “Locations”.
5. Consult useful links if necessary: Sherpa provides links to the open access policies of publishers or the journals themselves, to find out more about their specific approach.
Conclusion
Open science has (finally) become a priority for disseminating scientific knowledge to as many people as possible. By adopting this approach, you too are actively participating in a movement towards more accessible and inclusive science, promoting the collective advancement of knowledge.
To find out more:
Principles and policies of open access by Érudit
