Open Access refers to resources that are digital and are freely available for viewing and/or use. Open Access is not the same as Public Domain, and most Open Access creators do retain their copyrights but it means availability to all, if you want to read or use.
Types of open access materials
Many sources have more than one type of document, just as a print journal may also publish conference papers or technical papers.
The Open Access Directory (OAD) is a compendium of simple factual lists about open access (OA) to science and scholarship, maintained by the OA community at large. OAD is a wiki and OAD makes it easier for everyone to discover them, use them for reference, and update them.
Open Access Network (OAN) is made up of committed individuals, organizations, societies, publishers, libraries, and institutions working together to make knowledge public. Their focus is on humanities and social science disciplines.
Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA) represents the interests of OA journal and book publishers around the world.
Open Knowledge Foundation (OKF) is a global non-profit organization focused on educating organizations about open data, and to use it to take action on social issues.
Open Science Foundation (OSF) is a non-profit alliance of scientists, writers, jorunalists, educators who are makers and advocates for open data, open access, and open source and standards.
The Right to Research Coalition is a student-founded, student-focused that advocates for campus and national policies that promote Open Access, and to educate the next generation of scholars and researchers about Open Access so that it becomes the norm.
The Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) works to enable the open sharing of research outputs and educational materials in order to democratize access to knowledge and accelerate discovery. They are committed to making Open the default for research and education by supporting people and organizations who adopt policies and practices that advance open access, open data, and open education.
Green Open Access also known as ‘self-archiving’,
