Directory of Open Access Journals

Directory of Open Access Journals
Name	Directory of Open Access Journals
Type	Open access journal directory
Language	English
Owner	Infrastructure Services for Open Access
Launch date	2003
Current status	Active

Directory of Open Access Journals is a Swedish-based online directory that indexes and provides access to open access academic journals, including those published by University of California, Berkeley, Harvard University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The directory is managed by Infrastructure Services for Open Access and is supported by organizations such as the Open Society Foundations, Wellcome Trust, and National Science Foundation. It collaborates with other initiatives like DOAJ Seal and Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association to promote open access publishing, as advocated by Peter Suber and Stevan Harnad.

Introduction

The Directory of Open Access Journals is an essential tool for researchers, librarians, and students, providing access to over 12,000 open access journals from around the world, including titles from Elsevier, Springer Nature, and Wiley-Blackwell. It covers a wide range of subjects, including physics, biology, chemistry, and mathematics, and includes journals from prestigious publishers like Nature Publishing Group, American Chemical Society, and Institute of Physics. The directory is widely recognized and used by institutions such as Stanford University, University of Oxford, and California Institute of Technology, and is supported by organizations like the European Commission, National Institutes of Health, and Australian Research Council.

History

The Directory of Open Access Journals was launched in 2003 by Lund University in Sweden, with the support of the Open Society Institute and the National Library of Sweden. Since its inception, the directory has grown rapidly, with the number of indexed journals increasing from a few hundred to over 12,000 today, including titles from Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and Taylor & Francis. The directory has also expanded its coverage to include journals from around the world, including those published in China, India, and Brazil, and has collaborated with other initiatives like arXiv and PubMed Central to promote open access publishing, as advocated by Lawrence Lessig and Richard Stallman.

Criteria for Inclusion

To be included in the Directory of Open Access Journals, a journal must meet certain criteria, including being open access, having a peer review process, and being published regularly, as required by organizations like the National Science Foundation and the European Research Council. The directory also evaluates journals based on their editorial board, author guidelines, and copyright policies, as recommended by Committee on Publication Ethics and International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Journals that meet these criteria are indexed in the directory, which is updated regularly to ensure that it remains a comprehensive and reliable resource for researchers, as used by institutions like University of Cambridge, University of California, Los Angeles, and Columbia University.

Subject Coverage

The Directory of Open Access Journals covers a wide range of subjects, including social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences, with journals from prestigious publishers like American Psychological Association, Modern Language Association, and American Mathematical Society. It also includes journals that focus on specific topics, such as climate change, public health, and sustainable development, as addressed by organizations like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, World Health Organization, and United Nations. The directory's subject coverage is constantly expanding, with new journals being added regularly, including titles from Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Association for Computing Machinery, and Academic Press.

Features and Services

The Directory of Open Access Journals offers a range of features and services, including a search function that allows users to find journals by subject, title, or ISSN, as well as a browse function that allows users to explore journals by subject category, as used by researchers at University of Chicago, University of Michigan, and University of Texas at Austin. The directory also provides information on each journal's editorial board, author guidelines, and copyright policies, as required by organizations like the National Institutes of Health and the Wellcome Trust. Additionally, the directory offers a range of tools and resources for researchers, librarians, and publishers, including a journal finder and a publisher directory, as recommended by Association of Research Libraries and International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.

Impact and Recognition

The Directory of Open Access Journals has had a significant impact on the open access movement, providing a comprehensive and reliable resource for researchers and librarians, as recognized by organizations like the European Commission, National Science Foundation, and Australian Research Council. The directory has been widely recognized and used by institutions around the world, including Harvard University, Stanford University, and University of Oxford, and has collaborated with other initiatives like Open Access Week and Right to Research Coalition to promote open access publishing, as advocated by Peter Suber and Stevan Harnad. The directory has also received awards and recognition from organizations such as the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers and the International Council for Open and Distance Education, and has been supported by funding agencies like the National Institutes of Health and the European Research Council.

Category:Open access