Open Access

Getting Started

Welcome! We've created this guide to help you get started with research. Use the menu tabs for suggestions of different types of resources.

What is Open Access?

Open access is a broad international movement that seeks to grant free and open online access to academic information, such as publications and data. A publication is defined 'open access' when there are no financial, legal or technical barriers to accessing it - that is to say when anyone can read, download, copy, distribute, print, search for and search within the information, or use it in education or in any other way within the legal agreements. (Adapted from openaccess.nl, 2024)