Opening the door to Open Access - Waters - 2021 - Australasian Journal on Ageing - Wiley Online Library

Not even an abstract is OA. 

"In 2019, Open Access publications accounted for 63% of publications in the UK, 61% in Sweden and 54% in France, compared to 43% of Australian publications.4 In New Zealand, currently 41% of research articles are Open Access with any authors from an New Zealand university. This number falls to 34% where the lead author is a New Zealand researcher.5 Despite these low numbers, an Ithaka S+R library survey in 2018 found 46% of researchers rated it very important that their research reaches the general public, while 68% believed it extremely important that professionals outside academia have access to their research. Another 68% agree that enabling the broadest possible readership of their research is important for maximising the impact of their findings.6

So, while most agree that the free sharing of knowledge is desired and necessary, we need to assure there is equity between the knowledge makers and the knowledge takers. Trust and reciprocity are essential for this type of open collaboration, and perhaps the publishing of COVID-19-related research has demonstrated that this is possible. The COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to accelerate scientific knowledge and make it freely accessible have shown that knowledge makers and takers can move and adapt quickly to free access. The key question is: Is this a financially sustainable model and what will the impact be on already over-worked scientists and peer reviewers?

We need to open the door to understanding Open Access and finding a way for AJA [Australasian Journal on Ageing]  to adopt, and adapt to, the opportunities and challenges."