Forced Migration Current Awareness: Feature: Open Access - Part 2: Specific Journals

While forced migration researchers publish in a wide variety of scholarly journals that cover the full gamut of subject areas, I thought it might be useful to list some of the Gold OA titles specific to our field of study, as well as the self-archiving policies (Green OA) of key conventional journals ... While this is not a comprehensive listing of Gold OA journals in which forced migration researchers potentially might publish, the titles highlighted here help to illustrate the various shades of Open Access that exist, specifically, the distinction made between 'gratis OA' and 'libre OA' ... The RCUK policy has expressed a preference for the CC BY license, which can be equated with 'libre OA.'  So it would seem that authors with RCUK funding would likely not be able to publish in most of the OA journals listed above.  These titles are also the ones that, for the most part, do not charge APCs!  Many other OA journals do carry a CC BY license; these can be browsed on DOAJ.  And here is a list of other OA journals that forced migration authors have published in.  Some observations:  Most conventional journals listed above allow authors to deposit postprints in a repository.  However, there is the question of embargo periods, i.e., the period of time that must pass before a postprint can be deposited.  The RCUK policy is a bit confusing on this point; it seems to suggests that in certain situations, it would be okay with a 24-month embargo period (for SS&H journals), but ideally the embargo should be more in the range of 6-12 months (see p. 6 of the policy). Brill, Cambridge University Press, and Emerald are the most flexible, imposing no embargo periods on the deposit; Springer requires an embargo period of 12 months for posting in an IR (but none for posting on an author's web site).  OUP, Taylor & Francis, and Wiley have embargo periods ranging from 18-24 months, so their journals may or may not qualify!  Elsevier's journal - with an embargo period of 36 months! - clearly would not. For some, the solution might be to go with a hybrid OA option, which most of the journals above offer, upon payment of an APC.  UK-based researchers who receive RCUK funding no doubt have many questions about how to comply with the new policy that comes into effect on April 1st.  However, it has been recognized that a transition period will be needed to sort out many of the points raised in the policy.  Hopefully, this process will help to produce a consensus on the best way to provide Open Access in a way that accommodates all stakeholders!  (Is that pie in the sky, or what!)"