Exploring Open Access Publishing Trends in the State Universities of North East India: A Scientometric Study: Science & Technology Libraries: Vol 0, No 0

Abstract:  This study investigates the adoption and growth of Open Access (OA) publishing among state universities in Northeast (NE) India, focusing on eight states, with data derived from OpenAlex covering 14,883 publications from 2004 to 2023. Despite encompassing 26 universities, only nine from Assam and Tripura were indexed, limiting broader regional representation. The methodology involved data cleaning via OpenRefine and utilizing Biblioshiny and VOSviewer for statistical and network analyses. The findings reveal a growing adoption of OA, with OA publications increasing from 0.24% in 2004 to 16.13% in 2023. Gauhati University (GU) and Assam Agricultural University (AAU) led in OA output, contributing 2,597 and 2,044 publications, respectively. Gold OA was predominant (45.65%), while Diamond and Green OA remained underutilized at 8.17% and 13.12%, respectively. Despite the expansion, three major obstacles still exist: a lack of institutional policies, funding, and infrastructure limitations. Enhancing OA in NE India has the potential to democratize knowledge, increase the visibility of research, and foster regional development on both a social and practical level. This study contributes a foundational assessment of OA in NE India, advocating for inclusive, policy-driven approaches to increase regional visibility in global scholarly discourse.