Green, Gold, Diamond: Choosing the Right Open Access Route for Your Paper
Open Access (OA) comes in a few flavours. The route you choose affects cost, timing, licensing, and how quickly readers can find and cite your work.
Green Open Access (Self-Archiving)
Green OA means the author makes a version of their work freely available in a trusted repository, usually an institutional or subject-based repository, after publishing with a journal or press. Depending on the publisher’s policy, authors may share a preprint (submitted version) or an accepted manuscript (peer-reviewed, not yet typeset), sometimes immediately and sometimes after an embargo. Green OA can also apply to other outputs such as monographs, reports, and conference papers. Personal websites can host copies, but repositories are preferred for visibility and long-term preservation.
Gold Open Access
Gold OA refers to first publication in an open-access venue: for example, an OA journal article, an OA monograph, or a chapter in an OA edited volume or proceedings. These works undergo standard quality checks, peer review or editorial review. Authors typically sign a publishing agreement that clarifies rights granted to the publisher and the license applied to the open version (often a Creative Commons license), which spells out how others may use and share the work. Gold OA may involve APCs (article processing charges).
Diamond Open Access
Diamond OA is a form of OA publishing where content is free to read and free to publish, no article processing charges (APCs) for authors. These outlets are often community-led or institutionally supported rather than commercial. Diamond OA delivers immediate access to the version of record under a clear open license, without shifting costs to authors.
Preprints vs. post-prints (why versions matter)
Preprint: Submitted manuscript, not yet peer-reviewed.
Post-print / AAM: Peer-reviewed and accepted, but not in the publisher’s layout; content equals the final article.
Version of record (VoR): The final, typeset journal version.
Choosing your route: a quick decision guide
Check funder & institutional policy
Requires immediate OA to the final version? → Gold or Diamond.
Allows repository deposit within X months? → Green can work.
Confirm budget
No APC support? → Try Diamond first; otherwise Green.
APC funding available? → Gold widens your journal options.
Pick the right license
CC BY maximizes reuse and compliance in many mandates. (Journal license menus vary)
Plan your deposit
If going Green, schedule your repository upload (and embargo release) the day your paper is accepted.
Boost visibility
Even with Gold/Diamond, also deposit in a repository for redundancy, indexing, and preservation.
How Open Access is Financed
Open Access isn’t “free” to produce peer review, editing, typesetting, hosting, indexing, and long-term preservation all cost money. Different OA routes cover these costs in different ways:
APC-Funded Gold OA: Some journals charge Article Processing Charges (APCs) to publish the final version openly. APCs may be paid by research grants, an institution’s OA fund, or national/consortial agreements. Many publishers offer waivers or discounts based on need or country.
Diamond OA (no APCs): Authors pay nothing. Costs are covered by universities, libraries, scholarly societies, consortia, or public funds. Community-led and mission-driven, this model shifts expenses away from individual authors.
Transformative/Read-and-Publish Deals: Libraries or consortia sign agreements with publishers that bundle reading access and OA publishing, reducing or eliminating per-article APCs for affiliated authors.
Green OA (self-archiving): Authors deposit a permitted version in a repository at no charge. The version of record may remain behind a paywall, but access is provided via the repository. Institutional infrastructure (repositories, staff) is typically funded by universities or funders.
Other Supports: Small grants, society subsidies, philanthropic funding, advertising/sponsorship can help sustain OA platforms and journals.
