Development of Open Education and Open Science

4. Open Access: Development, Challenges, and the Key Role of Identifiers

The development of open access has transformed the way scientific knowledge is shared and used. Although the basic idea – free and no-cost access to scientific publications and data – is firmly rooted in the principles of knowledge dissemination, its implementation is not without challenges.

One of the primary challenges is funding. Traditional publishing models rely on subscriptions, whereas open access often depends on alternative models such as Article Processing Charges (APCs) or institutional support. Identifying sustainable and equitable funding models is essential for the long-term viability and growth of open access. At the same time, it is crucial to ensure the continued quality of scientific work. The peer-review process and the maintenance of academic rigour must remain uncompromised, regardless of the access model.

Additional complexity arises from copyright issues. Licences such as Creative Commons (CC) have become the standard in open access, allowing different levels of use and reuse of content. However, understanding and correctly applying these licences, as well as ensuring compliance with existing legislation, presents a challenge for authors and institutions.

Acceptance within the academic community is essential for the success of open access. Changing established publishing practices and perceptions of scientific value requires time, education, and sustained support.

In the context of these challenges, identifiers and identification systems play a crucial role in the functioning of open access. In a world of exponential growth in scientific publications and data, without standardised digital identifiers, it would be almost impossible to:

• find specific scientific papers, datasets, or authors
• cite works consistently and reliably, ensuring the accuracy of bibliographic references
• link related research results, authors, institutions, and projects, thereby enabling a more complete insight into scientific production

Identifiers such as DOI (Digital Object Identifier) for publications, ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) for authors, and ROR (Research Organization Registry) for institutions function as unique digital “number plates”. They ensure a permanent connection to a digital object or entity, even when URLs change. These systems create a network of connections that not only facilitates navigation through the body of scientific work but also enables more accurate tracking of research impact and collaboration. Without such systems, the progress of open access would be significantly hindered, and the potential for the widest possible dissemination and reuse of knowledge would remain unrealised.