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OAC 2025 Professional study materials
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OAC 2025 Professional practice questions

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Question 1Foundations and Governance of Open Access and Open Science

In the Budapest Open Access Initiative definition, what does 'open access' to peer-reviewed literature primarily mean for users?

  1. Automatic transfer of copyright from the author to the publisher
  2. Mandatory payment of article processing charges by readers
  3. Restriction of access to subscribers of institutional consortia
  4. Free availability on the public internet, permitting any user to read, download, copy, and distribute the work Correct answer.

Explanation

The Budapest Open Access Initiative frames open access as free availability on the public internet, allowing users to read, download, copy, distribute, print, and search the full text without financial, legal, or technical barriers beyond those inseparable from gaining internet access itself. Copyright and licensing remain with the author or rights holder, so open access concerns access and reuse permissions rather than ownership transfer.

Question 2Foundations and Governance of Open Access and Open Science

Which statement best distinguishes 'gratis' from 'libre' open access?

  1. Gratis requires a CC BY license, while libre requires no license at all
  2. Gratis applies only to books, while libre applies only to journal articles
  3. Gratis removes price barriers only, while libre also removes at least some permission barriers Correct answer.
  4. Gratis refers to green self-archiving, while libre refers to gold publishing

Explanation

The gratis/libre distinction separates free-to-read from free-to-reuse. Gratis open access removes price barriers so content can be read at no cost, whereas libre open access additionally removes at least some permission barriers through open licensing, enabling reuse such as adaptation and redistribution.

Question 3Foundations and Governance of Open Access and Open Science

A researcher deposits the accepted manuscript of a journal article in the institutional repository immediately upon acceptance but the journal embargoes public release for twelve months. Which open access route does this describe?

  1. Diamond open access
  2. Gold open access with an embargo
  3. Green open access with an embargo Correct answer.
  4. Hybrid open access

Explanation

Green open access is the self-archiving of a version of the work, often the accepted manuscript, in a repository. Embargo periods set by publishers delay when the deposited version becomes publicly accessible, and this delayed release is a recognized feature of green open access.

Question 4Foundations and Governance of Open Access and Open Science

What is the central function of an open access policy adopted by a research funder?

  1. It replaces peer review with editorial screening for funded authors
  2. It guarantees publication in a journal of a specified impact factor
  3. It sets binding requirements on how funded outputs must be made openly available and how compliance is verified Correct answer.
  4. It transfers ownership of research data to the funder permanently

Explanation

Funder open access policies establish obligations, such as deposit in a repository, licensing conditions, and maximum embargoes, and they specify how compliance is monitored and enforced. They govern dissemination of outputs rather than the conduct of peer review, ownership of data, or journal selection.

Question 5Foundations and Governance of Open Access and Open Science

Which Creative Commons license permits reuse, including commercial use and adaptation, provided the original is attributed?

  1. CC BY-SA
  2. CC0
  3. CC BY-NC-ND
  4. CC BY Correct answer.

Explanation

CC BY requires only attribution while allowing commercial use and the creation of adaptations, making it the most permissive of the attribution licenses. CC0 is a public domain dedication rather than an attribution license, and the other options add restrictions on commercial use, derivatives, or require share-alike.

Question 6Foundations and Governance of Open Access and Open Science

What does Plan S require of research funded by its cOAlition S members?

  1. Deposit in a repository only after a twelve-month embargo
  2. Publication exclusively in journals without article processing charges
  3. Immediate open access with no embargo and an open license for peer-reviewed publications Correct answer.
  4. Transfer of all rights to the funding agency

Explanation

Plan S requires that publications resulting from funded research be openly available immediately upon publication, without embargo, and be published under an open license such as CC BY. It also addresses rights retention and compliant routes, rather than mandating zero-cost journals or rights transfer.

Question 7Foundations and Governance of Open Access and Open Science

An author publishes in a subscription journal and the article is made openly available at the publisher's site upon payment of an article processing charge, while the rest of the journal remains subscription-based. Which model is this?

  1. Hybrid open access Correct answer.
  2. Green open access
  3. Diamond open access
  4. Delayed open access

Explanation

Hybrid open access describes individual articles made open within an otherwise subscription journal, usually after an article processing charge is paid. The journal as a whole is not fully open, which distinguishes it from full gold or diamond journals.

Question 8Foundations and Governance of Open Access and Open Science

A university library wants to support diamond open access publishing. Which arrangement is consistent with that model?

  1. The library funds the journal's operating costs so that neither authors nor readers pay Correct answer.
  2. The library licenses back content from a subscription database
  3. The library pays article processing charges on behalf of each accepted article
  4. The library negotiates read-and-publish credits with a commercial publisher

Explanation

Diamond open access removes fees for both authors and readers, with costs covered by institutions, societies, or other subsidies. Library funding of a journal's operating costs matches that structure, whereas per-article charges and read-and-publish deals belong to gold or hybrid arrangements.

Question 9Foundations and Governance of Open Access and Open Science

A funder policy states that grant holders must retain sufficient rights to make the accepted manuscript openly available regardless of the publisher's standard contract. Which mechanism does this describe?

  1. A transformative agreement
  2. A data availability statement
  3. An embargo extension
  4. A rights retention strategy Correct answer.

Explanation

Rights retention strategies require authors to retain or pre-grant a license to their accepted manuscripts so that they can be deposited and shared openly without negotiating with each publisher. Embargo extensions, transformative agreements, and data statements address different aspects of openness.

Question 10Foundations and Governance of Open Access and Open Science

According to the FAIR principles, what does the 'I' in FAIR require of research data?

  1. Data must be inaccessible to unauthorized users at all times
  2. Data must be interoperable with proprietary software exclusively
  3. Data must be stored on institutional servers only
  4. Data and metadata use vocabularies and references that are themselves findable and accessible Correct answer.

Explanation

Interoperability in FAIR means data and metadata use formal, accessible, shared, and broadly applicable vocabularies and qualified references so that they can be combined with other datasets. FAIR is about machine-actionability and reuse, not about restricting storage locations or enforcing permanent inaccessibility.

Question 11Foundations and Governance of Open Access and Open Science

A repository claims to follow FAIR principles but assigns no persistent identifiers and provides no metadata. Which FAIR letter is most directly violated first?

  1. I for Interoperable
  2. R for Reusable
  3. F for Findable Correct answer.
  4. A for Accessible

Explanation

Findability requires that data and metadata be assigned a globally unique and persistent identifier and be described with rich metadata so they can be discovered. Without persistent identifiers or metadata, discovery fails at the findability stage before accessibility, interoperability, or reusability can be meaningfully assessed.

Question 12Foundations and Governance of Open Access and Open Science

What is the primary purpose of an institutional open access repository?

  1. To sell subscription access to the institution's research
  2. To host the peer review management systems of commercial publishers
  3. To replace the institution's research ethics review process
  4. To collect, preserve, and provide persistent open access to an institution's scholarly outputs Correct answer.

Explanation

Institutional repositories gather the research outputs of an institution's community, preserve them, and make them openly accessible through stable identifiers and metadata. They support dissemination and compliance rather than commercial subscription sales, publisher workflow, or ethics review.

Question 13Foundations and Governance of Open Access and Open Science

A journal makes all articles freely readable but applies a license that forbids commercial reuse and the creation of derivatives. How should this be classified?

  1. Closed access
  2. Gratis open access with restricted reuse permissions Correct answer.
  3. Libre open access under a fully open license
  4. Diamond open access

Explanation

Because the articles are free to read, price barriers are removed, which corresponds to gratis open access. However, the license blocks commercial reuse and derivatives, so many permission barriers remain, meaning the content is not libre open access.

Question 14Foundations and Governance of Open Access and Open Science

Which statement correctly describes the relationship between open science and open access?

  1. Open access to publications is one component within the broader open science movement that also covers data, software, and methods Correct answer.
  2. Open science applies only to the humanities, while open access applies only to the sciences
  3. Open science is a subset of open access limited to journal articles
  4. Open access and open science are identical and interchangeable terms

Explanation

Open science is an umbrella concept encompassing openness across the research lifecycle, including publications, data, software, methods, and evaluation practices. Open access to publications is one well-established strand within that broader agenda rather than a synonym for it.

Question 15Foundations and Governance of Open Access and Open Science

A national government mandates that publicly funded research articles be deposited in a national repository within six months of publication. Which governance instrument is this?

  1. A transformative agreement
  2. A national open access mandate Correct answer.
  3. A copyright transfer agreement
  4. A peer review policy

Explanation

This is a mandate: a binding requirement tied to public funding that specifies deposit location and timing. Mandates are a governance instrument distinct from licensing agreements, copyright transfers, or editorial peer review policies.

Question 16Foundations and Governance of Open Access and Open Science

An author wants maximum reuse of their article, including commercial and derivative uses, while retaining attribution. Which license best matches this goal?

  1. CC BY-ND
  2. CC BY-NC-SA
  3. CC BY-NC
  4. CC BY Correct answer.

Explanation

CC BY allows commercial use and adaptations while requiring attribution, so it satisfies the stated goal. The other options add non-commercial, no-derivatives, or share-alike conditions that restrict at least one of the desired uses.

Question 17Foundations and Governance of Open Access and Open Science

A publisher's standard agreement would prevent an author from depositing the accepted manuscript, but the author's funder requires deposit. Which governance relationship best explains why the funder's requirement can prevail?

  1. Publishers are legally required to accept all funder policies without exception
  2. The grant conditions create prior obligations that the author must satisfy, and rights retention clauses can pre-grant the needed license Correct answer.
  3. Peer reviewers decide which contract terms apply to accepted articles
  4. Repository managers can override publisher contracts unilaterally

Explanation

Funder requirements operate as conditions of the grant, and rights retention language can grant the funder or institution a prior license to the accepted manuscript. This means the author can comply with the funder even if the publisher's default contract is more restrictive, though authors should check exact wording and timelines.

Question 18Foundations and Governance of Open Access and Open Science

Evaluate this scenario: a funder requires immediate open access under CC BY, but the chosen journal offers only a twelve-month embargo for repository deposit and no open license option. What is the most accurate assessment?

  1. The arrangement is compliant because the journal is peer reviewed
  2. The arrangement is compliant because repository deposit occurs eventually
  3. The arrangement is non-compliant with the funder's terms and the author should choose another route or seek an exception Correct answer.
  4. The arrangement is compliant because the author retains copyright

Explanation

Immediate open access without embargo and an open license are explicit conditions; a twelve-month embargo with no license fails both. Compliance depends on meeting the stated terms, so the author should select a compliant venue, use a rights retention route if permitted, or seek a formal exception.

Question 19Foundations and Governance of Open Access and Open Science

A research assessment committee proposes counting only publications in journals indexed by a single commercial database when evaluating open access compliance. What is the main governance concern with this approach?

  1. It conflates venue prestige with openness and can exclude compliant outputs in repositories or non-indexed open journals Correct answer.
  2. It automatically satisfies FAIR data requirements
  3. It guarantees higher compliance rates across all disciplines
  4. It removes the need for any institutional policy

Explanation

Using a single index as a proxy for openness confuses quality signals with access status and can disadvantage compliant outputs such as repository deposits or open journals outside that index. Sound governance separates compliance criteria from prestige metrics and accounts for disciplinary diversity in publishing.

Question 20Foundations and Governance of Open Access and Open Science

A consortium signs an agreement converting its subscription spend into support for open publishing, aiming to shift the majority of output to open access over time. Which term best describes this instrument?

  1. An embargo waiver
  2. A transformative agreement Correct answer.
  3. A rights retention policy
  4. A data management plan

Explanation

Transformative agreements are licensing deals designed to redirect subscription expenditure toward open publishing and to transition journals or institutions toward full open access. They differ from rights retention policies, data management plans, and embargo waivers, which address other aspects of open research governance.

Question 21Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

In the vocabulary of open access publishing, what does the term "gold open access" describe?

  1. A preprint is deposited in a repository before peer review and later withdrawn
  2. The final published version of record is made freely available by the publisher, typically at the point of publication Correct answer.
  3. A subscription journal allows authors to share the accepted manuscript privately with colleagues
  4. An article is free to read only after a fixed embargo period of twelve months

Explanation

Gold open access means the publisher itself makes the version of record freely available immediately on publication, usually funded by an article processing charge or an institutional agreement. The defining feature is that access is provided at the publisher's site rather than through a separate repository deposit.

Question 22Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

A journal is fully subscription-based but lets individual authors pay a fee so that their specific articles become free to read immediately while the rest of the journal stays behind the paywall. Which model is this?

  1. Green open access
  2. Diamond open access
  3. Delayed open access
  4. Hybrid open access Correct answer.

Explanation

Hybrid open access describes a subscription journal in which selected articles are opened individually, usually after payment of an article processing charge. The journal as a whole remains subscription-funded, which distinguishes it from a fully open access journal.

Question 23Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

Which statement best characterizes diamond (platinum) open access?

  1. Authors pay a reduced fee only if their institution lacks a read-and-publish agreement
  2. Neither authors nor readers pay, with costs covered by institutions, societies, or grants Correct answer.
  3. Authors pay a high article processing charge and readers pay a subscription
  4. Readers pay nothing but authors transfer copyright to the publisher

Explanation

Diamond or platinum open access removes both author-side charges and reader-side charges, with publishing costs absorbed by a scholarly society, institution, funder, or subsidy. It is therefore distinct from models that shift costs to authors through an article processing charge.

Question 24Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

What is the essential requirement of green open access?

  1. The article must be published under a Creative Commons CC BY licence
  2. The publisher must convert the entire journal to immediate free access
  3. A version of the work is deposited in a repository and made freely accessible Correct answer.
  4. The author must pay an article processing charge to the publisher

Explanation

Green open access is achieved by depositing a manuscript version, such as the accepted or published version where permitted, in a repository where it can be accessed freely. It does not require the publisher to open the journal or the author to pay a charge.

Question 25Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

An author publishes in a subscription journal and, under the publisher's policy, deposits the accepted manuscript in an institutional repository with a twelve-month embargo. Which access route has the author used?

  1. Hybrid open access
  2. Gold open access
  3. Bronze open access
  4. Green open access Correct answer.

Explanation

Depositing a manuscript version in a repository, even with an embargo before it becomes public, is the green route. The article remains in a subscription journal, so no publisher-side open access fee has been paid.

Question 26Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

Which description matches bronze open access?

  1. Articles are free to read on the publisher site but carry no explicit open licence Correct answer.
  2. Articles are free only to users in low-income countries
  3. Articles are free because the author paid a CC BY article processing charge
  4. Articles are free only after the author requests removal from a paywall

Explanation

Bronze open access describes content that a publisher makes free to read without attaching a clear open licence, so reuse rights remain unclear. It provides reading access but not the explicit permissions associated with licensed open access.

Question 27Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

In a read-and-publish (transformative) agreement, what does the institution typically secure?

  1. Ownership of the publisher's entire journal portfolio
  2. A guarantee that all submissions from the institution will be accepted
  3. Both reading access to subscribed content and coverage of open access publishing charges for affiliated authors Correct answer.
  4. Only a discount on subscription prices with no publishing component

Explanation

Read-and-publish agreements combine subscription access with funding or prepayment of article processing charges so affiliated authors can publish open access. They shift spending from purely read-side subscriptions toward publishing, without affecting editorial decisions.

Question 28Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

Which statement accurately describes a transformative journal under the Plan S framework?

  1. A journal that has committed to a defined pathway to become fully open access Correct answer.
  2. A journal that charges readers a premium for accelerated peer review
  3. A journal that permits green deposit only after a five-year embargo
  4. A journal that publishes only conference proceedings

Explanation

A transformative journal is one that has committed to transitioning to full open access within a defined period and meets the criteria set by cOAlition S. It is a time-limited category intended to move subscription journals toward full open access.

Question 29Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

An article processing charge (APC) in a gold open access journal is best described as what?

  1. A fee paid by readers each time they download an article
  2. A tax levied by a government on all scholarly output
  3. A penalty charged when an author withdraws a submission
  4. A fee charged to authors or their funders to cover publishing costs and make the article open Correct answer.

Explanation

An APC is an author-side or funder-side payment that supports publication services and enables immediate open access. It replaces or supplements the reader-side subscription revenue that traditionally funded the journal.

Question 30Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

Which business arrangement most directly removes the author-side APC barrier for researchers at a participating institution?

  1. An institutional read-and-publish agreement that covers APCs Correct answer.
  2. A pay-per-view token scheme for readers
  3. A journal embargo lengthened to twenty-four months
  4. A requirement that authors assign copyright to the publisher

Explanation

A read-and-publish agreement pools institutional spending to cover APCs, letting affiliated authors publish open access without paying personally. This addresses the affordability barrier that APCs can create for individual authors.

Question 31Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

What is an APC waiver or discount policy primarily intended to achieve?

  1. Restrict reuse rights for readers in wealthy countries
  2. Guarantee acceptance of manuscripts from waivered authors
  3. Reduce cost barriers for authors from lower-income institutions or countries Correct answer.
  4. Increase the subscription price for high-income institutions

Explanation

APC waiver and discount policies reduce or eliminate author-side charges so that researchers with limited funding can still publish open access. They address equity concerns in the transition to open access publishing.

Question 32Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

A library wants to compare the total cost of reading access and open access publishing across publishers. Which measure is designed for this purpose?

  1. The journal's acceptance rate
  2. The average number of figures per article
  3. The transformative agreement value expressed as cost per article published Correct answer.
  4. The journal's median time to first decision

Explanation

Expressing agreement value as cost per article published allows institutions to compare combined read and publish spending across publishers. It captures the shift from subscription-only costs to spending that includes open access publishing.

Question 33Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

Which Creative Commons licence permits commercial reuse and adaptation provided the author is credited and adaptations are shared under the same terms?

  1. CC BY-ND
  2. CC BY-NC-ND
  3. CC BY
  4. CC BY-SA Correct answer.

Explanation

CC BY-SA requires attribution and mandates that adaptations be distributed under the same licence, while still permitting commercial use. It is the share-alike variant of the permissive attribution licence.

Question 34Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

Why do many research funders require a CC BY licence rather than a more restrictive Creative Commons licence for funded outputs?

  1. CC BY prevents any commercial use of the published article
  2. CC BY removes the requirement to credit the original authors
  3. CC BY maximizes lawful reuse, including text and data mining and commercial application, while preserving attribution Correct answer.
  4. CC BY transfers copyright from the author to the funder

Explanation

CC BY is the most permissive of the common Creative Commons licences, allowing reuse, adaptation, and commercial application as long as attribution is given. Funders favour it because broad reuse, including computational analysis, is central to the purpose of open access.

Question 35Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

A publisher offers authors a choice between CC BY and CC BY-NC-ND. What practical difference does choosing CC BY-NC-ND create for readers?

  1. Readers face no restrictions on reuse of any kind
  2. Readers may use the work commercially but may not create adaptations
  3. Readers may read and share the work but may not use it commercially or distribute adaptations Correct answer.
  4. Readers may reuse the work commercially but must share adaptations alike

Explanation

The NC element bars commercial use and the ND element bars distribution of adaptations, leaving reading and sharing with attribution. Choosing this licence therefore narrows the reuse rights compared with CC BY.

Question 36Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

Which statement about copyright in most gold open access publishing is accurate?

  1. Authors frequently retain copyright and grant the publisher a licence to publish Correct answer.
  2. Copyright is held jointly by the funder and the library
  3. Authors must always transfer copyright to the publisher before an APC is charged
  4. Copyright is abolished because the article is openly licensed

Explanation

Many open access publishers allow authors to retain copyright while granting the publisher a licence to publish and distribute the work. The open licence then governs how readers may reuse the article.

Question 37Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

What is a preprint in the context of open access scholarly communication?

  1. A retraction notice issued after publication
  2. The final typeset version of record distributed by the publisher
  3. A version of a manuscript shared publicly before formal peer review and journal publication Correct answer.
  4. A peer review report published alongside an accepted article

Explanation

A preprint is a manuscript made public ahead of peer review and journal publication, often through a dedicated server. It enables early dissemination and credit but is not the final version of record.

Question 38Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

A researcher posts an early manuscript on a preprint server, later publishes the peer-reviewed article gold open access, and cites both versions. Which statement best captures the open access significance of this workflow?

  1. The preprint accelerates dissemination while the gold article provides the peer-reviewed version of record Correct answer.
  2. Posting a preprint transfers copyright to the preprint server
  3. The preprint server becomes the publisher of record for the article
  4. The preprint replaces peer review and the journal version becomes unnecessary

Explanation

Preprints allow rapid sharing before review, while the peer-reviewed gold article supplies the validated version of record. The two serve complementary roles in open scholarly communication rather than replacing one another.

Question 39Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

What distinguishes a full open access journal from a hybrid journal?

  1. A full open access journal makes all research articles free immediately, while a hybrid journal opens only those articles whose authors pay Correct answer.
  2. A full open access journal relies on green deposit, while a hybrid journal relies on gold deposit
  3. A full open access journal charges readers a subscription, while a hybrid journal does not
  4. A full open access journal publishes only review articles, while a hybrid journal publishes original research

Explanation

In a full open access journal every research article is openly available from publication, whereas a hybrid journal remains subscription-based and opens individual articles when authors pay. The distinction concerns the extent of open access, not article type or deposit route.

Question 40Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

A society publisher worries that shifting to a full open access model will reduce revenue if subscription income falls faster than APC income rises. Which analysis is most relevant to assessing this risk?

  1. Modelling the expected APC volume and price against lost subscription revenue during the transition Correct answer.
  2. Measuring the average word length of published articles
  3. Reviewing the colour scheme of the journal website
  4. Counting the number of figures in each accepted manuscript

Explanation

Assessing transition risk requires comparing projected APC income, based on expected accepted article volume and price, with the subscription revenue that will be forgone. This financial modelling identifies whether the open access model can sustain the journal.

Question 41Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

Which scenario best illustrates a "double dipping" concern in the transition to open access?

  1. A publisher charges APCs for hybrid articles while continuing to charge subscribing institutions for the same content Correct answer.
  2. A funder pays an APC for an article published in a fully open access journal
  3. An author deposits an accepted manuscript in a repository after an embargo
  4. A library cancels a subscription and relies on interlibrary loan

Explanation

Double dipping occurs when a publisher receives APC income for hybrid articles and also continues to charge subscribers for access to the same content. Institutions paying both routes effectively fund the same content twice.

Question 42Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

What role does a DOI play in open access publishing infrastructure?

  1. It encrypts the article so only subscribers can read it
  2. It replaces the need for a licence on the article
  3. It sets the article processing charge for the journal
  4. It provides a persistent identifier that links to the article regardless of URL changes Correct answer.

Explanation

A DOI is a persistent identifier that resolves to the article's location, supporting stable linking and citation even when web addresses change. Persistent identifiers are a core element of open scholarly infrastructure.

Question 43Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

An institution is evaluating whether to join a read-and-publish agreement. Which consideration most directly reflects the agreement's alignment with open access goals?

  1. The proportion of the institution's output that would be published open access under the agreement Correct answer.
  2. The number of colour pages permitted in accepted manuscripts
  3. The number of editorial board members at the publisher
  4. The journal's cover design and branding

Explanation

The open access impact of an agreement depends on how much of an institution's publishing output it converts to open access. That proportion links the agreement's spending to the goal of making research freely available.

Question 44Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

Which statement best explains why some funders cap or monitor APC spending rather than funding APCs without limit?

  1. APC caps eliminate the need for any open access licence
  2. APCs are illegal under most open access mandates
  3. Capping APCs guarantees that only high-quality articles are published
  4. Uncapped APC funding can create affordability problems and divert research budgets toward publishing fees Correct answer.

Explanation

Without limits, APC funding can consume substantial research budgets and create inequities between well-funded and less-funded authors. Caps and monitoring aim to control costs and keep publishing affordable within the transition.

Question 45Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

A journal publishes its articles openly but relies on volunteer labour, institutional subsidy, and no author fees. Which open access model does this represent?

  1. Bronze open access
  2. Delayed open access
  3. Hybrid open access
  4. Diamond open access Correct answer.

Explanation

Diamond open access is characterised by the absence of both author fees and reader fees, with costs met through subsidy, volunteer labour, or institutional support. It is the model most associated with community-controlled, fee-free publishing.

Question 46Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

Under a diamond (platinum) open access model, how are the costs of publishing typically covered?

  1. Through subscription payments made by libraries for access to the journal
  2. Through institutional, funder, or consortium subsidy rather than charges to authors or readers Correct answer.
  3. Through per-article pay-per-view fees charged to individual readers
  4. Through article processing charges paid by each corresponding author at acceptance

Explanation

The diamond or platinum model removes both reader-side paywalls and author-side fees, with costs borne by institutions, funders, societies, or consortia. It is distinguished from gold APC-funded publishing and from subscription access.

Question 47Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

A library is tracking its transition spending and wants a figure that compares total expenditure on subscriptions plus publishing against its historical subscription-only baseline. Which concept is it measuring?

  1. The article processing charge listed on the journal website
  2. The read-and-publish cost ceiling relative to the prior spend Correct answer.
  3. The journal impact factor of the titles in the agreement
  4. The embargo length applied to accepted manuscripts

Explanation

Transitional agreements are usually negotiated with a cost ceiling so that total spend does not rise above the previous subscription baseline while publishing is included. This protects the institution against paying twice for the same content.

Question 48Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

A funder requires that funded outputs be deposited in a repository with a CC BY licence and permits use of a publisher's version of record. Which compliance route does this describe?

  1. Green open access via an institutional repository with an open licence Correct answer.
  2. Hybrid open access with a subscription paywall retained for other articles
  3. Delayed open access where the article becomes free after an embargo
  4. Bronze open access where the article is free to read but not licensed for reuse

Explanation

Depositing a licensed copy in a repository is the green route, and a CC BY licence satisfies funder reuse requirements. Bronze and delayed access give free reading without the required reuse rights.

Question 49Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

A publisher's hybrid journal reports that 18 percent of its articles were published open access while the remaining articles sit behind a paywall. What does this indicate about the journal's model?

  1. It is a preprint server hosting non-peer-reviewed manuscripts
  2. It is a diamond journal subsidised by a scholarly society
  3. It is a full open access journal funded entirely by article processing charges
  4. It is a hybrid journal mixing subscription content with optional paid open access Correct answer.

Explanation

A hybrid journal publishes some articles open access on payment of an APC while the rest remain subscription-access. The mixed proportions are the defining feature that separates it from a full open access title.

Question 50Open Access Publishing Models and Business Models

An institution is modelling the risk of a read-and-publish agreement whose publishing allowance is exceeded mid-term. Which outcome should it anticipate under typical contract terms?

  1. Unused reading credit is converted into a cash refund to the library
  2. The publisher automatically converts the agreement into a diamond model
  3. All further articles become open access at no additional cost until the term ends
  4. Additional articles are billed at an agreed APC or the allowance must be topped up Correct answer.

Explanation

Most transformative agreements define an included number of articles and specify a price for articles beyond that cap, or require the institution to purchase additional allowance. The institution therefore carries a budget risk once the allowance is used up.