Articles: How to Identify, Find, and Use Them

Definition & Purpose

Open Access (OA) articles are scholarly publications that are freely accessible online, without paywalls or subscription restrictions. These may include peer-reviewed journal articles, preprints, book chapters, or datasets. OA refers to the distribution model, not the article type.

Open Access articles are published in:

• Fully OA journals (Gold OA)
• Archived institutional or subject repositories (Green OA)
• Hybrid journals with optional OA fees

In academic research, OA articles are valuable because they:

• Remove financial and legal barriers to access
• Support global and equitable research access
• Allow legal reuse for teaching and academic publishing (depending on license)

For More Information

To learn more about Open Access publishing options, funding mandates, and institutional support at HEC Montréal, consult the Open Access Guide.

When to Use Open Access Articles

Open Access (OA) materials are particularly beneficial in research contexts that require:

• Immediate and Unrestricted Access
  Ideal for researchers working remotely, collaborating internationally, or working without access to subscription-based databases.
• Public Interest and Global Equity
  OA helps reduce information inequalities by making research accessible to institutions, professionals, and communities worldwide — especially in fields like sustainability, public health, or social innovation.
• Recent Work from Diverse Institutions
  Platforms such as DOAJ and Érudit provide peer-reviewed articles from a range of institutions, allowing timely access to scholarly content without paywalls.
• Educational and Reuse Purposes
  Many OA articles are published under Creative Commons licenses, which permit legal reuse in theses, course materials, teaching, and outreach initiatives.

Tip: In Google Scholar, look for [PDF] links next to article titles to access free versions. If no free version appears, click on "All versions" under the result to check if an Open Access copy is available. You can also add filetype:pdf to your search to find more free documents.