ECPR

Install the app

Install this application on your home screen for quick and easy access when you’re on the go.

Just tap Share then “Add to Home Screen”

Open access publishing

A practical guide for political science researchers

Publishing open access (OA) makes your research freely available online for anyone to read, download and share from the moment it is published.

If you're preparing to submit an article to an ECPR journal, you may be wondering:

  • What exactly is open access?
  • Why are so many journals and funders encouraging it?
  • Will I have to pay to publish?
  • What does it mean for my copyright?
  • Which licence should I choose?

This guide explains what you need to know and highlights the open-access options available across ECPR journals. For definitions of terms used on this page, see our Jargon buster.

What is open access?

Open access (OA) is a publishing model that makes scholarly research freely available online without subscription or paywall barriers.

This means that anyone can access your article, including:

  • Researchers and students
  • Policymakers and civil servants
  • Journalists and media organisations
  • Civil society organisations
  • Members of the public

Unlike traditional subscription publishing, readers do not need to pay to access open-access articles.

Open access in ECPR journals

All ECPR journals offer open-access publishing.

Articles published open access are immediately available online and are typically accompanied by a Creative Commons licence that explains how others may reuse the work.

Why does open access matter?

Open access helps ensure that research reaches the widest possible audience.

In political science, research often addresses issues with real-world implications, including:

  • Public policy
  • Elections and democracy
  • Governance
  • International relations
  • Conflict and security

Making research openly available enables policymakers, practitioners, journalists and civil society organisations to engage with findings that might otherwise remain behind paywalls.

Benefits for authors

For individual researchers, open access can help:

  • Increase the visibility of your work
  • Improve discoverability through online search tools
  • Reach readers beyond your immediate field
  • Support international knowledge exchange
  • Increase the potential readership and citation impact of your research

Why has publishing changed?

Historically, scholarly journals relied on subscriptions paid by universities and libraries.

As subscription costs increased and expectations around public access to research grew, funders, universities and researchers began supporting alternative publishing models that make research more widely accessible.

Further reading

Potted history of the open access movement

If readers don’t pay, who does?

Open-access publishing removes the paywall for readers. Publishing costs are instead covered through a range of mechanisms.

In many cases, publishers charge an Article Processing Charge (APC) to support the publication process.

However, individual researchers often do not pay these costs personally. Instead, funding may come from:

  • Research grants
  • University open-access funds
  • Institutional agreements with publishers
  • Research institutes and funding organisations

Different open-access models

Gold open access

Your article is made freely available on the publisher's website immediately after publication.

All ECPR co-published journals currently support Gold OA publishing.

Hybrid open access

Authors can choose to make individual articles open access within a subscription journal by paying an APC.

Some articles remain behind a paywall while others are openly available. ECPR journals published with Cambridge University Press used a hybrid model for several years before transitioning to OA.

Green open access

Authors publish in a subscription journal but also deposit an approved version of the article in a repository.

This route often avoids APCs, although embargoes or other conditions may apply.

Diamond open access

Neither readers nor authors pay publication charges.

Publishing costs are covered by learned societies, universities, governments or philanthropic organisations.

Further reading: About Plan S

Plan S is an initiative supported by cOAlition S, an international consortium of research funding organisations. It requires that scientific publications that result from publicly funded research be published in open-access journals, platforms or repositories that meet the initiative’s requirements.

What open access means for authors

Will I have to pay?

Not necessarily.

Many authors publish open access through funding already available to them via:

  • Institutional agreements
  • Research grants
  • University OA funds
  • Publisher waiver schemes

Before assuming you'll need to pay an APC yourself, check what support is available through your institution or funder.

How do I find out if funding is available?

ECPR journals published by Cambridge University Press

If your institution has an open-access agreement with Cambridge University Press, your publication costs may be covered.

Use the Cambridge eligibility checker to see whether your institution participates.

If no agreement exists, Cambridge offers additional funding and waiver routes for eligible authors.

Political Research Exchange (PRX)

Political Research Exchange, published by Taylor & Francis, is fully open access.

You may be able to publish at no cost, or at a reduced APC, through:

Authors affiliated with an ECPR Member institution are eligible for a publication-fee waiver. This is an important benefit of ECPR membership. PRX cannot apply fee waivers retrospectively; you must request them prior to submission.

What about copyright?

Open-access publishing does not mean giving up ownership of your work.

Instead, authors typically retain more rights over how their work is shared and reused than under traditional publishing arrangements.

The terms of reuse are defined through a Creative Commons licence.

Which licence should I choose?

Creative Commons (CC) licences allow you to decide how others can reuse your work.

Your institution or funder may require a specific licence, so always check funding conditions before making your selection.

Recommended for maximum dissemination

CC BY (Attribution)

Others can share, reuse and adapt your work, including for commercial purposes, provided they give appropriate credit.

Many funders and open-access policies prefer or require this licence because it enables the broadest reuse.

If you want to restrict commercial reuse

CC BY-NC (Attribution-NonCommercial)

Others can adapt and share your work, but not for commercial purposes.

If you do not want your work modified

CC BY-ND (Attribution-NoDerivatives)

Others can redistribute your work unchanged but cannot create adaptations.

Additional options

These combine different restrictions relating to adaptation and commercial reuse.

Cambridge University Press journals
Authors can select from all six standard Creative Commons licences when completing the Author Information Form.

Political Research Exchange (Taylor & Francis)
Authors can choose between CC BY and CC BY-NC-ND, depending on journal and funder requirements.