Open Access Vocabulary (February 2024)

A shared understanding of the key terminology used in Open Access across regions and languages is essential for awareness raising within the profession and communication with stakeholders. The purpose of IFLA’s Open Access vocabulary is to collate the most widely used terms and definitions, with reference to official statements or other documents where these terms are defined. It is intended to be an easy-to-read reference guide. As new terminology and definitions are regularly created, it is intended to capture the most common terms used across the globe, and is not exhaustive.