Skip to main content
v2026.1714 entries · CC-BY 4.0
CASRAI
Dictionary termTrack EStablev2026.1

Gold open access

The publisher version of a publication is immediately and permanently freely available for anyone with internet access to read or download from the publisher site at the point of publication.

ByCASRAI Editorial Board
· Last updated 19 May 2026

Editorial commentary

This is usually available on the publisher’s website with a licence that permits copying and re-use. There is often a one-off payment of an upfront fee or Article Processing Charge (APC) by or on behalf of the author. Some journals contain only open access articles whereas others, known as hybrid journals, may offer a mix of open and subscription content. Sometimes the fee may be waived or covered by a membership arrangement. Where open access fees are waived this is sometimes referred to as “diamond” open access. All articles that meet the definition can be considered gold open access whether or not an APC was paid.

Machine-readable encodings

Use in your systems

JATS XML <role> element
xml
<role vocab="credit"
      vocab-identifier="https://casrai.org/dictionary/"
      vocab-term="Gold open access"
      vocab-term-identifier="https://casrai.org/dictionary/term/gold-open-access" />
Schema.org DefinedTerm (JSON-LD)
json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "DefinedTerm",
  "name": "Gold open access",
  "identifier": "https://casrai.org/dictionary/term/gold-open-access/",
  "description": "The publisher version of a publication is immediately and permanently freely available for anyone with internet access to read or download from the publisher site at the point of publication.",
  "inDefinedTermSet": "https://casrai.org/dictionary/domain/knowledge-equity-diversity-global-south-inclusion/",
  "url": "https://casrai.org/dictionary/term/gold-open-access/",
  "sameAs": [],
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
}
LAC

Partner Deal

LAC Health Supplies Mobile App

Referenced across the research world

University of Cambridge logoColumbia University logoUniversity of Edinburgh logoHarvard University logoUniversity of Oxford logoPrinceton University logoStanford School of Medicine logoUniversity College London logoORCID logoCrossref logoUniversity of Cambridge logoColumbia University logoUniversity of Edinburgh logoHarvard University logoUniversity of Oxford logoPrinceton University logoStanford School of Medicine logoUniversity College London logoORCID logoCrossref logo
  • University of Cambridge logo
  • Columbia University logo
  • University of Edinburgh logo
  • Harvard University logo
  • University of Oxford logo
  • Princeton University logo
  • Stanford School of Medicine logo
  • University College London logo
  • ORCID logo
  • Crossref logo

View CASRAI adoption →