Open Access

Open Access (OA) refers to unrestricted and free access to scientific information worldwide. OA can be seen as a counter-model to publisher-controlled access to scientific publications, whereby only those who can afford the acquisition costs of journals and books are granted access to scientific works. In science, this OA principle, which has been intensified since the beginning of the century, is now being sustainably demanded and supported. Extensive information on OA is provided by the Open Access network at open-access.net.

The "Open Access" concept aims to facilitate access to scientific findings and make research results more visible. Scientific information generated within the framework of publicly funded research should be accessible and reusable via the Internet for every user without financial, technical or legal barriers. Open Access is not only about access to quality-assured text publications, but also to other digital objects such as primary research data or monographs.