Library Publishing and Open Access

Benefits

Open Access refers to the unrestricted and free access to scholarly publications.

Within the framework of applicable copyright law, anyone should be able to read, download, copy, print, search, and link to these publications.

• Free access to publications supports the transfer of knowledge.
• Research findings become more visible.
• Visibility, readership, and citation rates increase.
• Electronic publications are published more quickly than print editions.
• Authors retain their rights.
• Content can be reused with legal certainty.

Open Access Models

With Gold Open Access, scholarly publications are freely accessible immediately upon publication. This usually means that the work is published in an Open Access journal. The associated publication costs are often covered by library consortia or scholarly societies. Authors generally grant users extensive rights to access and reuse their work. Reputable Open Access journals can be found in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).

With Green Open Access, scholarly works are first published in a scholarly journal and are then made available as a secondary publication via an institutional or subject repository. Depending on the publisher, this may take place either simultaneously with the initial publication or after an embargo period, subject to the licence agreement and the applicable legal framework.

Hybrid journals are traditional subscription-based journals in which individual articles can be made Open Access upon payment of an additional publication fee. This model is attractive to researchers because it allows them to publish in well-established journals from reputable publishers while making their individual article freely accessible.

Creative Commons Licences

When publishing content outside a traditional publishing house, it is advisable to use Creative Commons licences. These licences allow authors to specify how others may use and reuse their work. There are currently six different Creative Commons licences, as illustrated in the graphic provided by Creative Commons Aotearoa New Zealand.

For more information about the benefits of Creative Commons licences and the meaning of each licence, please watch the following video. A brief overview of the topic is also available in the accompanying PowerPoint presentation.

Presentation582 KBPDF

Like subscription-based journals, the quality of Open Access journals can vary. In contrast to so-called predatory journals or fake journals, high-quality Open Access journals meet a range of recognised quality standards, such as a peer-review process, reputable editors, long-term accessibility through persistent identifiers (e.g. DOIs), and clear licensing information.

Before publishing in an Open Access journal, it is therefore advisable to assess the journal's trustworthiness using Think. Check. Submit. In addition, you can check whether the journal is listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) or indexed in databases such as Web of Science or Scopus.

Further Information

• Criteria Catalogue for Fake Journals (in German)
• Statement by the German Rectors' Conference on Predatory Publishing (in German)
• Guide to Predatory Publishing by the Leibniz Information Centre for Economics (in German)

Publishing Agreement

As the creators of their work, authors own the intellectual property rights to their publications. When a work is published by a publisher, the publishing agreement determines which rights are transferred to the publisher. A distinction is made between two types of usage rights:

• Exclusive rights – all rights are transferred to the publisher.
• Non-exclusive rights – the author retains the right to use and republish the work.

Recommendation

When signing new publishing agreements for electronic publications, you should grant the publisher only non-exclusive rights. This allows you to make your work available on your personal university profile page or in the Aalen University Institutional Repository (OPUS). To achieve this, restrictive wording (such as the transfer of all rights) should be removed from the agreement or supplemented by an addendum. One example is provided by SPARC:

“I hereby declare that I do not wish to assign the exclusive copyright to (publisher name) but reserve the right to publish the article in full on an Open Access platform.”

Secondary Publication Rights

A secondary publication is an Open Access version of a work that has already been published in a subscription-based publication or otherwise behind a paywall.

If the original publication appeared with an international publisher, the publishing agreement determines whether a secondary publication is permitted and, if so, which version (preprint or postprint) may be used. Guidance on individual publishers' policies is available from Jisc.

For German publishers, the right of secondary publication is governed by Section 38(4) of the German Copyright Act (Urheberrechtsgesetz). These statutory provisions apply even if the publishing agreement states otherwise, provided that all of the following conditions are met:

• The article was published in a periodical that appears at least twice a year.
• At least 50% of the underlying research was funded with public funds.
• The publication is not intended for commercial purposes.

If these conditions are met, the work may be republished under the following conditions:

• The secondary publication may appear 12 months after the initial publication.
• The publisher-accepted manuscript (postprint) may be used.
• The source of the original publication must be cited.

Please note that the University Library does not provide legal advice. The information above is intended as general guidance only.

Funding Models for Open Access

Because Open Access publications are freely available, alternative business models are needed to finance Open Access journals and cover costs such as editorial and publishing services. The three main funding models are:

• Author-Pays Model (Article Processing Charges, APCs).
• Institutional Funding.
• Community Funding (Consortial & Crowdfunding).

Open Access Policy

The Open Access Policy adopted by Aalen University in 2018 aims to maximise the visibility of its researchers' publications and to promote the exchange of information and knowledge, as well as the transfer of research results to academia, industry, and society.

To achieve this, Aalen University encourages researchers to make their scholarly publications available through Open Access and provides information and advice to support academic authors.

The key principles of the Open Access Policy are:

• Publishing first in peer-reviewed Open Access journals that meet high quality standards.
• Choosing open licences (e.g. Creative Commons).
• Depositing a copy of the publication or a secondary publication in the Aalen University OPUS Institutional Repository.
• Negotiating publishing agreements that grant only non-exclusive rights to publishers.
• Registering for an ORCID iD.
• Supporting scholarly publishing through information and advisory services.

Open Access Policy321 KBPDF

Publication Guidelines

In April 2024, the Rectorate of Aalen University adopted the Publication Guidelines. They provide guidance on the standardised name of the university and the identification of its authors in research publications, explain funding acknowledgements, describe the publication process and publication funding opportunities, and list sources of information and advisory services.

Publication Guidelines476 KBPDF

Publishing Under the DEAL Agreements

Benefits of the DEAL Agreements for Researchers

• Nationwide licence agreements covering the complete portfolio of electronic journals (e-journals) from major academic publishers since the 2017 licence year.
• The agreements include an Open Access component that is centrally funded by the library.
• Publish & Read agreements are designed to prevent double payment, where authors pay publication costs while libraries also pay licence fees for reading access.
• Significantly expanded reading access to the journal portfolios of Elsevier, Springer Nature (excluding Nature journals), and Wiley.
• All three DEAL agreements are valid from 2024 to 2028.

Further information is available on the DEAL website.

Publishing with Elsevier (DEAL Agreement)

Overview of Elsevier Open Access Journals

Elsevier provides journal lists indicating which journals are covered by the DEAL agreement.

Costs

For articles published in hybrid journals, the publication fee is €2,500 per article during the first year of the agreement (plus 19% VAT and any applicable fees). Higher publication charges apply to articles published in Cell Press and The Lancet journals.

These costs are covered by the university through a central budget. As a result, members of Aalen University can publish Open Access in subscription-based journals (hybrid journals) under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence at no additional cost. Elsevier refers to this option as Hybrid Open Access.

For Gold Open Access journals, the list price of the Article Processing Charge (APC) applies, minus a 20% discount. For Cell Press and The Lancet journals, the APC is discounted by 15% per article.

The Elsevier DEAL agreement also provides members of Aalen University with full reading access to most of Elsevier's journal portfolio on ScienceDirect, including The Lancet and Cell Press titles, from 1995 onwards.

Further Information

Further information is available in the DEAL–Elsevier Information Sheet (in German).

Publishing with Springer Nature (DEAL Agreement)

Overview of Springer Nature Open Access Journals

Springer Nature provides journal lists indicating which journals are covered by the DEAL agreement.

Costs

The agreement is funded by the university through a central budget. Members of Aalen University can therefore publish Open Access in hybrid journals under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence at no additional cost. Springer Nature refers to this option as Open Choice.

For Gold Open Access journals, a 20% discount applies to the list price of the Article Processing Charge (APC).

The DEAL agreement also provides members of Aalen University with full reading access to the journals covered by the agreement.

Publishing with Springer Nature

During the publication process, you will be asked to choose a publication model. The library recommends selecting Open Access or Open Choice.

Further Information

Further information is available in the DEAL–Springer Nature Information Sheet (in German).

Publishing with Wiley (DEAL Agreement)

Overview of Wiley Open Access Journals

Wiley provides journal lists indicating which journals are covered by the DEAL agreement.

Costs

The agreement is funded by the university through a central budget. Members of Aalen University can therefore publish Open Access in hybrid journals under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence at no additional cost. Wiley refers to this option as OnlineOpen.

For Gold Open Access journals, a 20% discount is applied to the list price of the Article Processing Charge (APC).

The DEAL agreement also provides members of Aalen University with full reading access to the journals covered by the agreement.

Further Information

The workflows for Open Access publishing with Wiley are available here:

• Hybrid OA Journal Workflow
• Gold OA Journal Workflow

You can use the Journal Finder to identify the most suitable Wiley journal for your publication.

Further information is available in the DEAL–Wiley Information Sheet (in German).

Publishing Outside the DEAL Agreements

Publishing with ACM

Overview of ACM Open Access Journals

The current agreement with the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) (2024–2026) includes an Open Access component. ACM provides a list of journals, magazines, and conference proceedings in which authors can publish Open Access.

Costs

The agreement is funded by the university through a central budget. As a result, members of Aalen University can publish in all hybrid and Gold Open Access journals offered by ACM at no additional cost.

Eligibility

Authors must be affiliated with Aalen University. Eligibility is verified using the university email address.

Further Information

The following article types are covered:

• Research Article
• Short Paper
• Review Article
• Survey Article
• Technical Note
• Tutorial
• Interview
• Note

Further information is available on ACM OPEN and in the ACM Information Sheet (in German).

Publishing with Frontiers

Overview of Frontiers Open Access Journals

Frontiers provides a journal list covering all Open Access journals published by the publisher.

Costs

Under the institutional agreement, members of Aalen University receive a 10% discount on the Article Processing Charge (APC).

For central invoicing, a university cost centre to which the publication costs can be charged, together with a brief justification for the selected journal, must be provided. This information is required by the Finance Department and can be sent to openaccess[at]hs-aalen.de.

Publishing with Frontiers

To qualify for the institutional discount, the corresponding author must be affiliated with Aalen University.

Publishing with MDPI

Overview of MDPI Open Access Journals

MDPI provides a journal list covering all Open Access journals published by the publisher.

Costs

Members of Aalen University can choose between two billing models:

• Non-Central: The corresponding author receives the invoice directly and benefits from a 15% discount on the Article Processing Charge (APC).
• Central: The invoice is issued to Aalen University. In this case, a 30% discount on the APC is granted.

For central invoicing, a university cost centre to which the publication costs can be charged, together with a brief justification for the selected journal, must be provided. This information is required by the Finance Department and can be sent to openaccess[at]hs-aalen.de.

Publishing with MDPI

To benefit from the institutional agreement, the corresponding author must be affiliated with Aalen University.

Publishing with Hogrefe PsyJOURNALS

Overview of PsyJOURNALS

Aalen University participates in the Hogrefe PsyJOURNALS Consortium (journal list). As a result, article processing charges for Open Access publications in the hybrid PsyJOURNALS are covered by the agreement.

In addition, a 25% discount on the Article Processing Charge (APC) is available for the following Gold Open Access journals:

• European Journal of Psychology Open
• Psychological Test Adaptation and Development (PTAD)
• Sports Psychiatry - Journal of Sports and Exercise Psychiatry

For central invoicing, the library requires a university cost centre to which the publication costs can be charged, together with a brief justification for the selected journal. Both pieces of information are required by the Finance Department and can be sent to openaccess[at]hs-aalen.de.

Publishing with PsyJOURNALS

To benefit from the institutional agreement, the corresponding author must be affiliated with Aalen University.

Further Information

A journal overview is also available on the publisher's website.

Publishing with Sage

Overview of Sage Open Access Journals

Sage provides journal lists indicating which journals support Open Access publishing. These include both hybrid and Gold Open Access journals. However, Open Access publishing is generally not available in these journals.

Costs

Publishing in hybrid journals (Sage Choice) is free of additional charges.

For Gold Open Access journals, a 20% discount is applied to the list price of the Article Processing Charge (APC).

Publishing with Sage

To publish under the agreement, the corresponding author must be affiliated with Aalen University.

In addition, Sage permits authors and their institutions to deposit the manuscript version of publications that were not originally published Open Access in a repository after an embargo period of one year (Green Open Access).

Further Information

The current consortium agreement also includes generous provisions for Green Open Access. Further details are available on the publisher's website.

Further information is available in the Sage Information Sheet (in German) and the SAGE Journal Recommender.

Publishing with Taylor & Francis

Aalen University has signed the Taylor & Francis Consortium Agreement for the period 2024–2026.

Overview of Taylor & Francis Open Access Journals

Taylor & Francis provides journal lists indicating which journals support Open Access publishing. These include approximately 2,100 hybrid journals and 350 Gold Open Access journals.

Costs

The agreement is funded by the university through a central budget. Members of Aalen University can therefore publish Open Access in hybrid journals (Open Select Journals) under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence at no additional cost. Taylor & Francis refers to this option as Open Select.

For Gold Open Access journals, a 15% discount is applied to the list price of the Article Processing Charge (APC).

The agreement also provides members of Aalen University with full reading access to the Science & Technology Collection.

Further Information

Further information is available in the Taylor & Francis Information Sheet (in German).

Aalen University Publication Fund

Aalen University offers a local publication fund to support the publication of articles in Open Access journals.

Unfortunately, the funds are currently exhausted.

If you are planning to publish, please contact us. We will be happy to help you identify a suitable journal: openaccess[at]hs-aalen.de

Identifiers are used to clearly assign publications to their authors, institutions or research funding organizations. This increases the visibility of the research achievements of both the institution of higher education and the individual researchers. To ensure that the publications of Aalen University of Applied Sciences can be assigned as accurately as possible, the library recommends standardized spellings of the institution of higher education and the use of author and institution identifiers (ID).

Designation of Aalen University

To ensure that articles are correctly attributed to the university, the Dean's Office points out that the following designations are compulsory for use in publications - regardless of the publisher:

• in Germany: Hochschule Aalen - Technik, Wirtschaft und Gesundheit - short form: Hochschule Aalen
• international: Aalen University of Applied Sciences - short form: Aalen University

Identifiers of Aalen University of Applied Sciences

• ROR: https://ror.org/04gg60e72
• Ringgold 120294 
• German Research Institutions (GERiT) DFG 10072
• GRID: grid.440920.b
• ISNI: 0000 0000 9720 0711

Author identifiers

Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) - ORCID is a unique author identifier enabling the unambiguous assignment to a person, independent of any name changes, special characters or changes of institutions. You can apply for the ORCID free of charge. For more information, see this blog.

ResearcherID Thomson Reuters (Web of Science) - Author identifiers from Thomson Reuters are mapped in the Web of Science database and are often used to calculate the h-index, which is an important bibliometric indicator. If the author names are not unique, the value of the h-index will be inaccurate. The ResearcherID can be requested free of charge.

Scopus Author ID - The author identifier of the Scopus database cannot be requested by the author, it is instead assigned automatically using an algorithm. The following data are used for assignment: Institution, address, subject area, publication periods and co-authors. Since this assignment can be incorrect, it is important that the institution can be unambiguously assigned. This is achieved by using the university ID.

Many papers published in subscription journals have become open access through secondary publication on institutional repositories. Therefore, these publications can be found by search engines (e.g. Google Scholar). Open Access journals are listed in the EZB Electronic Journals Library. A targeted search for ‘open access’ journals can be conducted here.

Further research sources for searching for

• Journals: Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
• Books: Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB)
• Repositories: Directory of Open Access Repositories (openDOAR)
• Research data: Zenodo
• Research data repositories: re3data

A compilation of further research sources can be found here.

Recommendation services for quality-assured open access journals

• B!Son: a recommendation service realized by the TIB Hannover and the SLUB Dresden.
• oa.finder: a journal search tool that finds suitable Open Access publication options