Open Access: One Editor’s Perspective - Journal of Investigative Dermatology

"As Editor for this journal since June 2012, I have frequently been involved in conversations that touch on Open Access (OA) publishing. Many have concerned its mechanics, such as the several types of OA licenses now available, appropriate charges to authors, and funding agency requirements for their grantees’ publications. Occasionally, however, I have encountered passionately held opinions and dire predictions about the future of medical research publishing. The issues are very unlikely to disappear and will instead increasingly influence the dissemination of research findings in dermatology and other fields. I therefore wish to share with the JID readership my own understanding of OA, its origins, advantages and disadvantages, and potential impacts on the research enterprise generally."