Scopus to launch Open Access indicator for journals on July 29
On July 29, Scopus will launch an Open Access indicator for journals indexed in Scopus. This indicator will allow users to easily identify Open Access journals within Scopus via the ‘Browse Sources’ link. This link provides an alphabetical list of all journals, book series, trade publications, and conference proceedings available in Scopus.
Out of the +21,000 active journals indexed in Scopus, 3,785 are currently (June 2015) registered as Open Access (OA) journals. OA refers to journals in which all peer reviewed scholarly articles are available
online without any restrictions.In Scopus, journals are registered as being OA journals only if they are registered as Gold OA or Subsidized OA at one or both of the following sources: Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and the Directory of Open Access Scholarly Resources (ROAD).
Please note that in Scopus, Open Access is only registered on the journal level and not on the article level. Therefore, the following OA journal types are included or excluded from the OA Journal List:
Journal types included from the OA journal list:
| Type | Definition |
| Gold OA & Gold OA (waived) Journals | Journals in which all peer reviewed scholarly articles are online available without any restrictions and for which an Article Processing Charge (APC) has been paid. |
| Subsidized Journals | Journals which do not charge an Article Processing Charge (APC) and are instead subsidized by other means (including university / government / agency / corporate sponsorship / print subscriptions / advertising). |
Journal types excluded from the OA journal list:
| Type | Definition |
| Hybrid OA Journals | Subscription-based journals that offer an APC-based OA option. |
| Delayed Hybrid OA Journals | Subscription-based journals which provide free online access upon the expiry of an embargo period following the initial article publication date. |
| Subscription Journals | Journals which cover publication costs through access tolls such a subscription costs. |
Scopus updates the OA journal list (part of the Scopus Title list) three to four times a year. This time lapse may lead to minor and temporary discrepancies in the OA journal status on Scopus.com.
You can find more information on Scopus content at the Scopus info site.
Read the full release notes for more information on the Open Access indicator and the newly launched Article Metrics Module.