The IU Libraries provide a journal publishing platform and hosting for any IU Bloomington affiliate interested in starting a journal or “flipping” a journal to open access. This service is free as long as the journal is affiliated with Indiana University. Most commonly, an editorial board member or journal leadership is affiliated with IU. The IU affiliate can be a faculty member, student, or staff member. Not sure whether open access is right for your journal? There are several ways in which publishing open access is beneficial for your publication: Increase Visibility/Readership By allowing your content to become freely accessible online, you expand your audience and democratize the research you worked hard to produce. Open access journals have also proven to net higher rates of citation for articles as well as increased overall readership. Innovative Publishing By publishing open with IU Libraries, you are able to access a variety of innovative digital publishing formats. Our platform provides support for various forms of multimedia, including 3D imaging, as well online full text publication. Open Access and Quality Just like their subscription based counterparts, open access journals can vary in quality and standards. The condition of a journal depends on the quality of its editorial board, the rigor of its peer review process, and its ability to generate useful scholarship and citations, not the business model or level of openness. Applying for recognition with organizations such as the Directory of Open Access Journals can help your readers know that the you have high standards and a rigorous review process, as well as aid your indexing in academic databases. Starting or Flipping an Open Access Journal This 6-step guide provides a walk through for establishing a new open access journal, including estimated time frames, potential costs, and technical requirements. While this guide is an excellent starting point, remember that we can assist with many of these steps including minting DOIs, acquiring an ISSN, and setting up a platform for your journal’s website. If you are looking for a business/labor model for an open access journal, IU’s Museum Anthropology Review serves as an excellent example. Traditional journals can also become open access. Several of the journals we currently host were once subscription-based before converting to being fully open access. This process often requires a more thorough assessment of copyright and technical needs, so contact iusw@indiana.edu for help making your journal fully accessible.