Melina Linden

For topic 5 we were asked to analyse the advantages and disadvantages of making content freely available, from a content producer’s perspective. Open access entails online research outputs that are free of all restrictions on access (free-to-use) and free of many restrictions on use (free-to-re-use). At a first glance, this concept may seem faultless. However, after research and further discussion, I learned that there are a few potential disadvantages from a content producer’s point of view, such as copyright infringement, less prestige, potential publication fees, and lack of quality control. Of course, there are also advantages, such as gaining readership, facilitating the growth of science, and increased citation.