Open Access

The aim of Open Access is to make scientific literature and research results available worldwide and free of charge to everyone, so that they can be reused. Open Access improves the supply of information, facilitates scientific networking, and increases the visibility of research results.

As a signatory to the Berlin Declaration, the IPU Berlin is committed to the concept of Open Access. We support the free exchange of research results not only ideologically, but also with a publication fund, and recommend that all employees publish their publications on OEDIPUB, in open access journals, and on open access platforms.

Further basic information on Open Access can be found here.

Numerous search engines facilitate the search for open access publications. Here are just a few examples to help you get a better overview of your options for accessing full texts free of charge.

1. Search engines

BASE: The Bielefeld Academic Search Engine comprises over 240 million documents, approx. 60% of which are open access.

OpenAIRE: OpenAIRE Research Graph comprises approx. 100 million usable publications, numerous data sets, and software research products.

2. E-book directories

DOAB: Directory of Open Access Books lists just under 80,000 peer-reviewed open access books.

3. Journal directories

DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals lists approximately 14,000 freely accessible journals and nearly 10 million articles.

Further open access search engines can be found at the following link: Find open access literature.

Basic information on open access publication routes can be found here.

1. Financing open access

There are free and fee-based routes to open access publication.

For first-time publications in an open access journal, authors usually have to pay publication fees (known as article processing charges, APCs, or book processing charges, BPCs), which can be found on the websites of the respective journals/publishers. This is where the author-pays model applies. However, there are also open access journals that do not charge any fees for publication.

In some cases, APCs are covered by research funding bodies. Publication funds are available to support authors with APCs. Many research institutions have publication funds that contribute to open access publication fees. The IPU Berlin has also set up a corresponding fund. In addition, there are discount models that facilitate publication.

For republications, the rights of use agreed with the publisher of the first publication apply. If you have contractually assigned your rights of use to the publisher, it is sometimes possible to purchase the print version of the publication by paying an open access fee. In addition, it is often possible to republish manuscript versions free of charge. The respective terms and conditions of the publishers can be found at Sherpa Romeo.

2. Transformation agreements

The transformation to an open access-based scientific landscape is being promoted by so-called transformation agreements. For example, the DEAL project in Germany offers consortium agreements with an open access component with the three major scientific publishers (Elsevier, Springer Nature, and Wiley). The IPU Berlin has been granted eligibility to participate in the DEAL project. As a member of the IPU, you can publish open access with Elsevier, Springer Nature, and Wiley, in some cases at special rates with significant financial discounts. We are happy to assist you in researching the conditions that apply to you. Simply contact the advisory service listed below.

3. OEDIPUB

OEDIPUB is a disciplinary and institutional repository for psychoanalysis operated by the IPU Library. On OEDIPUB, you have the opportunity to publish your scientific contributions free of charge. We are happy to advise you on any questions you may have about your publication options on OEDIPUB.

To ensure that scientists and literature seekers are better informed about their open access options and advantages in the future, the IPU Library offers consultation hours for open access advice. You can make an appointment for an individual consultation at the following address: