Open Access
Flinders University Library supports open access to research, ensuring that research outputs are freely available to everyone. This is achieved in two ways:
- Publishing open access: Researchers can publish their work in journals we have agreements in place at no charge or a discounted rate (terms and conditions apply, see here for more information).
- Making existing outputs open access: Research already published can be shared freely at no cost through university-hosted platforms.
The University's Open Access Policy requires that research outputs (including non-traditional research outputs) be made open access unless there is a valid reason not to. Researchers can choose the open access route that is most suitable to their research, while also meeting any obligations linked to grant funding.
Why Open Access matters
Open access promotes global equity by removing barriers to accessing research. It ensures that knowledge is available to everyone, regardless of their location or resources.
Flinders University supports open and ethical research practices, aligning with:
- FAIR Principles: Ensuring research and data are Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable.
- CARE Principles: Promoting ethical use of data, especially when it relates to Indigenous peoples or communities.
ResearchNow can be used to make article manuscripts open access at no cost and to showcase a variety of research, including non-traditional research outputs
Use the ROADS repository at Flinders to make your research datasets open access and reusable by others.
Have your reports hosted by Flinders with a stable DOI and a registered ISBN to aid in discoverability.
View offers available for free and discounted open access publishing options in selected journals.
Attend a library workshop to learn more about publishing open access, avoiding predatory publishers, and sharing all kinds of outputs.
Flinders University encourages researchers to learn about, adopt and encourage open research practices, where relevant or possible.
Benefits of open access
Open access to research outputs offers several benefits:
- Wider readership & greater citations: Without being behind a paywall, open access articles are accessible to a broader, more diverse audience. This not only boosts readership and citations but also the chances of finding collaborators and amplifying the impact of research.
- Compliance with funding requirements: Ensures compliance with open access mandates for publicly funded research, maximising the visibility and accessibility of findings so more people can benefit from it.
- Accelerate innovation: Open licences allow other researchers to build on existing research, translating research into real-world applications faster. By breaking down barriers, open access fosters a collaborative and dynamic research environment.
By Ginny Barbour, Mark Hooper, Stephanie Bradbury, Paula Callan & Anne Walsh.
CC-BY-NC.
Open Access Week at Flinders
We were delighted to once again celebrate International Open Access Week in October 2026, anchored by our flagship event, An Unaffordable Truth: Hot Takes on Open Access and the Cost of Knowledge [listen to the podcast].
This year, the flagship was a 'theatre in the round'-inspired live podcast, highlighting the incredibly thoughtful voices of three early career researchers – Jacob (CSE), Stellene (CMPH), and Samuel (CHSC). There were hand-folded zines, choose your type of open access (based on donuts!) and lots of fantastic discussion.
Alongside An Unaffordable Truth, we ran a three-part Know Your Worth series, reflecting on the increasingly complex and ever-changing academic landscape, and focusing on what researchers can control. We dived into:
- The Cost of Knowledge in the Age of AI
- Research(er) Data Management [view the recording]
- Open Publishing and Metrics [view the recording]
Thank you to everyone who came along to any of the sessions – we're grateful for this community and can't wait for next year!
Revisit previous years:
Open access requirements for grants
Researchers who have received grant funding should ensure they are aware of their funding body's open access mandates and choose publishing avenues that comply with their grant conditions.
- Journal articles and peer-reviewed conference papers must be openly available immediately on publication, with a CC BY licence (with specific provisions for research involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities).
- You can meet the requirement by publishing the Version of Record open access, or by making your Author Accepted Manuscript immediately available in a repository.
- Books, book chapters, edited volumes and research reports have a little more time: they must be made openly available as soon as possible and within 12 months of publication.
- At least one version of every research paper must be openly available immediately, with no embargo, and published under a CC BY licence.
- There's flexibility in how you get there: you can make the published version, Author Accepted Manuscript or a preprint immediately open access, provided it meets the policy requirements.
- The policy goes beyond publications: researchers are also expected to share research data where appropriate, following an "as open as possible, as closed as necessary" approach and the CARE and FAIR principles.
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