Open access: OA Resources

If you are used to finding sources only in toll access databases, you may wonder what sort of resources are available open access.

The resources you find open access are very similar to the resources available through toll access databases.  They include peer reviewed journals and conference proceedings. 

In fact, some of the content that you find in toll access databases is open access content that toll access databases have bundled with their own content.  A good example of this is MEDLINE which is from the National Library of Medicine, which is available through Ovid, Ebsco and CSA.  The information in MEDLINE is all open access, and it's searchable via PUBMED (also free), which is from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Library of Medicine.

Looking for open access jounals in your field?  Looking for a particular open access journal? The OASPA is perhaps the best place to start: it is an open access publishers assocation with strict guidelines for membership and member behavior.

Another place is the Directory of Open Access Journals.  The DOAJ only lists open access journals with quality control (such as peer review), which makes it an excellent palce to look for peer reiewed journals. 

UTEP has an institutional repository for researchers to submit their work for open access.  Because it is a good place for faculty to submit their publications, it is also a good place for people to look for resources.

Patrons can look for resources in the repository here.

Faculty and Researchers looking to publish their papers in the repository should read this FAQ on submitting to the repository.