A Global Analysis of Open Access Books: A Study Based on Directory of Open Access Books

Abstract: The Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB) provides a searchable index peer-reviewed monographs and edited volumes published under an Open Access business model, with links to the full texts of the publications at the publisher’s website or repository. This paper discusses a global analysis of open access books, which are available in the Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB). The data was collected from the open access directory at http://www.doabooks.org / on 20th October 2015. In total 3379 books are listed as available on the directory; the first and second books were published in 1866 and 1867 respectively. After 1962, the publication of books, increased gradually and the greatest number of books more than 300, was published in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014. Nearly 47 percent of the books (1584) were published in the English language only.