Open Access Academic Publications: Benefits and Risks

Abstract

The presentation focuses on both the benefits and the risks that emerge during the process of academic publishing under the Open Access model. Within this context, the Library of the University of Macedonia is conducting a study aimed at mapping the views and experiences of the university’s researchers regarding the advantages and challenges they encounter when publishing in Open Access journals. The results of this research are expected to significantly contribute to the development of informed policies and support services tailored to the actual needs of the research community. 31o Πανελλήνιο Συνέδριο Ακαδημαϊκών Βιβλιοθηκών – 22-24/10/2025 Ιωάννινα Το κείμενο της ανακοίνωσης (conference paper) είναι διαθέσιμο στο: https://olympias.lib.uoi.gr/jspui/handle/123456789/39352 In addition, the presentation includes the findings of an analysis of the journals in which researchers from the University of Macedonia published during the period 2020–2024, compared against the Finnish journal evaluation system Jufo (Julkaisufoorumi). The goal is to explore to what extent journals with a high CiteScore in the Scopus database are also considered high-quality according to Jufo's classification. The analysis revealed that although most titles with a high CiteScore are ranked in the higher Jufo tiers (levels 2 and 3), there are cases of journals with high impact but low or no quality rating in Jufo (levels 1 and 0), indicating the need for a multidimensional evaluation of publication. Finally, the presentation highlights the need for institutional guidance and support for researchers, the development of Open Access policies that ensure the quality of scholarly communication, and the strengthening of the role of libraries as hubs of support, evaluation, and awareness about Open Access publishing.