Perspectives on Open Access Publishing and Research - Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

"Many research funders support the idea of open access publications that allow free public access to timely peer-reviewed publications. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) commissioned interviews to better understand grantee and staff members’ opinions of open access publishing....In general, grantees and staff saw the benefits of open access as a way to democratize research access and findings, thus broadening dissemination and policy impact. Some concerns were raised, however, including: [1] The cost of publishing in journals that charge article processing fees may be prohibitive to junior faculty members.[2] The quality of open access publications is viewed by many as substandard to closed, top-tier peer-reviewed journals. [3] Career advancement for academics depends on publishing in high-impact journals, which tend to be closed, not open access journals that are not the standard journals in a field...."