Open Science
Ein Venn-Diagramm in Herzform zeigt verschiedene Arten des Open Access (OA) und ihre Eigenschaften. Es gibt drei überlappende Kreise mit den Beschriftungen: „Autoren behalten das Urheberrecht“, „Kostenlos für Leser“ und „Kostenlos für Autoren“. Im Zentrum, wo alle drei Kreise sich überschneiden, steht „Diamond OA“. Andere Bereiche sind wie folgt beschriftet: „Gold OA“ (gelb, kostenlos für Leser, peer-reviewed), „Green OA“ (grün, kostenlos für Leser, Autoren behalten das Urheberrecht), „Preprints“ (orange, Autoren behalten das Urheberrecht, kostenlos für Autoren), „Vanity Press“ (orange, Autoren behalten das Urheberrecht, peer-reviewed), „Subsidy Publishers, Vanity Press“ (orange, peer-reviewed, kostenlos für Autoren) und „Toll-Access (Paywalled)“ (rosa, keine der drei Eigenschaften). Die Bereiche sind farblich unterschiedlich markiert: Orange, Gelb, Grün, Rosa und Weiß.

Shine On You Diamond Journals: a brief overview of Diamond Open Access Journals

A study on ArXiv states that the costs for APCs in Open Access have tripled from 2019 to 2023. This clearly requires a solution, as these costs are no longer sustainable for libraries and universities. Diamond Open Access (DOA) Journals are gaining increasing importance in this context. These journals offer free access to both readers and authors without publication fees (Article Processing Charges, APCs). But what makes DOA so special, and which projects worldwide demonstrate how successful this model can be? This article provides an overview of successful DOA initiatives and offers insights into how universities can promote this model internally.

What is Diamond Open Access?

Diamond Open Access refers to a publication model in which scholarly journals are freely accessible, and authors do not have to pay any fees. According to the OA Diamond Journals Study (2021) by cOAlition S and Science Europe, DOA journals account for approximately 73% of the publications registered in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), with a strong presence in the humanities and social sciences. They are often funded by universities, libraries, or public institutions, making them a sustainable and equitable model. Below is a brief list of projects worldwide and in Europe that focus on Diamond Journals. This list does not claim to be exhaustive.

DOA Projects Worldwide

  1. SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online). SciELO is one of the largest DOA platforms, hosting over 1,500 journals, primarily from Latin America, Africa, Portugal, and Spain. Funded by public and academic institutions, SciELO promotes regional research and strengthens bibliodiversity. It demonstrates how global visibility and local relevance can go hand in hand.
  2. Redalyc. Redalyc, also based in Latin America, hosts over 1,400 DOA journals. Supported by universities and governments, the platform provides free access to scholarly content and strengthens research in resource-scarce regions.
  3. Open Library of Humanities (OLH). OLH is a pioneer in the humanities, with 33 DOA journals. Funded through membership contributions from libraries worldwide, OLH uses the open-source Janeway system to keep costs low. This model is particularly appealing for universities looking to invest in existing platforms rather than developing their own.
  4. African Journals Online (AJOL). AJOL supports over 500 African journals, many of which follow the DOA model. Through funding from foundations and institutions, AJOL enhances the visibility of African research and proves that DOA can work in regions with limited resources.

DOA Projects in Europe

  1. OpenEdition Journals (France). OpenEdition Journals is a leading platform for humanities and social sciences, hosting numerous DOA journals. Using the open-source Lodel software and supported by French and European institutions, it promotes multilingual and multicultural research.
  2. openjournals.nl (Netherlands). The openjournals.nl platform supports DOA journals in the Netherlands and is funded by academic institutions and libraries. It uses Open Journal Systems (OJS) and covers various disciplines, such as social sciences and humanities.
  3. tidsskrift.dk (Denmark). tidsskrift.dk is a Danish platform for DOA journals, supported by the Ministry of Education and Research. It focuses on social sciences and humanities and uses OJS to ensure accessibility.

European Support for DOA

Craft-OA Logo

European projects like DIAMAS and CRAFT-OA, funded through Horizon Europe, strengthen the sustainability of DOA journals. DIAMAS develops institutional publishing models, while CRAFT-OA, with its Diamond Discovery Hub (under development as of May 22, 2025), enhances the visibility of DOA journals. These initiatives, along with support from Science Europe and the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science (2021), promote the spread of the DOA model in Europe.

Not All That Glitters Is Diamond

While the Diamond Open Access (DOA) model is valued for its ethical and cost-free publishing approach, caution is warranted, as not every publisher labeling itself as “Diamond” adheres to these principles. Some publishers misuse the term “Diamond” to attract authors and readers while charging hidden fees or neglecting the quality of peer review, which contradicts the standards of reputable DOA journals. Such practices can undermine the credibility of research and the principles of open access. Universities and researchers should therefore scrutinize the transparency and funding models of publishers and rely on established platforms and databases like DOAJ to ensure collaboration with reputable Open Access journals.

Challenges and Opportunities

Despite their advantages, DOA journals face challenges, such as reliance on volunteers or the lack of long-term archiving strategies (57% of DOA journals, according to the OA Diamond Journals Study by cOAlition S and Science Europe [page 96], lack such strategies). Nevertheless, they offer significant opportunities: they promote bibliodiversity, support multilingual research, and align with guidelines like Plan S, which demand open access.

Diamond Open Access at TU Chemnitz

At the Technical University of Chemnitz, we are actively committed to Diamond Open Access to promote free access to scholarly research. The university library operates a platform for Open Access journals based on the open-source software Open Journal Systems (OJS), hosting several high-quality DOA journals, including the innoTRAC Journal, GAMM Archive for Students (GAMMAS), and the Journal of Embedded Selforganising Systems. These journals cover innovative topics such as traction mechanisms, applied mathematics, and computer science and are completely free for both authors and readers. Through our Open Access policy, which has enabled primary and secondary publications in the MONARCH-Qucosa repository since 1995, as well as through training and advisory services, we promote the visibility and sustainability of our researchers’ work. The platform also supports the assignment of persistent identifiers like DOIs to ensure maximum reach and long-term archiving.

If you are interested in establishing a Diamond Open Access journal at TU Chemnitz and becoming part of this forward-looking movement, please contact me via the university library to receive support and further information.

Open Science
Logo von SciPost

SciPost: Diamond Open Access for the science

In an era where Article Processing Charges (APCs) for academic publishing often reach thousands of euros, posing significant financial barriers for researchers, and paywalls restrict access to scientific knowledge, platforms like SciPost offer a groundbreaking solution. Through its Diamond Open Access model, SciPost ensures that neither authors nor readers face costs, providing a sustainable and equitable alternative to traditional publishing. For researchers at the Technical University of Chemnitz, SciPost is an excellent opportunity to share research globally without financial hurdles.

What is SciPost?

Founded in 2016 by physicist Jean-Sébastien Caux, SciPost is an academic-led publishing platform specializing in natural sciences, including physics, chemistry, mathematics, and astronomy. Manuscripts can be submitted directly or via the preprint server arXiv.org. SciPost employs a transparent Open Peer Review process (peer-witnessed refereeing), where referee reports are published online after editorial review, with reviewers able to remain anonymous or disclose their names. By 2023, SciPost has published over 2,000 articles, including works by renowned researchers like Nobel laureate Giorgio Parisi.

Journals such as SciPost Physics, SciPost Chemistry, and SciPost Physics Proceedings cover a broad spectrum of disciplines. All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license, allowing use, reproduction, and distribution for commercial and non-commercial purposes, provided the original source is cited.

Why Diamond Open Access?

Unlike traditional publishing models that charge high APCs or reader fees, SciPost’s Diamond Open Access model eliminates all financial barriers. The platform is funded through contributions from libraries (the University Library of Chemnitz), universities, funding agencies, and consortia, potentially including TU Chemnitz. This approach promotes equitable scientific communication and aligns with the principles of the Berlin Declaration on Open Access of 2003, which TU Chemnitz supports.

SciPost uses the PubFracs system to allocate institutional affiliations of authors, ensuring fair distribution of financial support among contributing institutions. The average cost per article is approximately €500.

Benefits for Chemnitz Researchers

SciPost offers numerous advantages for TU Chemnitz researchers:

  • Cost-Free Publishing: No APCs, removing financial barriers for authors.
  • Global Visibility: Articles are freely accessible worldwide, increasing reach and citation potential.
  • High Quality: Academic-led management and transparent peer review ensure rigorous standards.
  • Sustainability: Support an ethical, non-commercial publishing model.

TU Chemnitz supports Open Access through its Publication Fund, which assists researchers with funding for Open Access publications, though SciPost requires no APCs.

Bottom line

SciPost provides Chemnitz researchers with a unique opportunity to share their work globally without financial barriers, supporting a fair and transparent publishing model.

Below is a summary table

FeatureDetails
Publishing ModelDiamond Open Access: free for authors and readers
FundingVoluntary contributions from libraries, universities, and consortia
Peer ReviewOpen Peer Review, reports published online
LicenseCC BY 4.0, allows use and distribution with source citation
Cost per Article~€500, 5–7 times lower than traditional APCs
Number of ArticlesOver 2,000 published by 2023
FounderJean-Sébastien Caux, founded in 2016
Main JournalsSciPost Physics, SciPost Chemistry, SciPost Physics Proceedings
E-media, Nicht kategorisiert
Screenshot e-Book from Ebook Central

EPUB-e-Books: How to cite without page numbers?

Since the introduction of the European accessibility act, which aims to improve the accessibility of products and services, the EPUB format has been preferred to the PDF format as the standard for the online provision of e-books. Several e-book providers such as Ebook Central (Proquest) point out this change in recent reports, as it has an impact on the use of e-books in their portals.

What is problematic about this?

EPUB files adapt flexibly to screen sizes and fonts. The disadvantage: there are no fixed page numbers in the documents. In science, however, page numbers are required in many citation guidelines in order to make citations retrievable. In this blog article, we explain how to cite from EPUBs despite the lack of page pagination.

Screenshot of a “page view” of an EPUB e-book in Ebook Central. The “page number” at the bottom right can vary.

What alternatives are there to specifying pages?

What to do if the EPUB format does not provide fixed pages? There are various alternatives for referencing citations from EPUB files:

  • Chapter or section numbers (e.g. chapter 3, paragraph 4)
  • shortened versions of chapter or section headings
  • Percentages or positions (e.g. 45%, 1654 loc for Kindle readers)

What do the official handbooks say?

If you look at the relevant manuals, you will find rules on how to cite in continuous text or footnotes and how to create bibliographies. We show some examples here. However, deviations are possible in individual cases, as even the handbooks leave room for interpretation in places.

STYLE REFERENCE LIST | SAMPLE REFERENCE LIST | EXAMPLE In-Text-CITATION | EXAMPLE
APA Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the book: Subtitle of book (Edition, if applicable). Publisher. DOI or nondatabase URL (if available) Mankiw, N G. (2025). Macroeconomics (12th ed.). Macmillan. (Mankiw, 2025, Chapter 2-1)
Chicago Author Last Name, Author First Name. Title of the Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. DOI or URL (if available) or name of database. e-book reader. with URL from commercial database:

Mankiw, Nicholas Gregory. Macroeconomics. New York: Macmillan Publishers, 2025. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/tuchemnitz/detail.action?docID=31813253

with indicating e-book format when used via e-book reader:

Mankiw, Nicholas Gregory. Macroeconomics. New York: Macmillan Publishers, 2025. ProQuest Ebook Central. EPUB.

 Foot- or Endnotes are used. Example:

“Economists distinguish between two types of quantity variables: stocks and flows. A stock is a quantity measured at a given point in time, whereas a flow is a quantity measured per unit of time.”²

Foot-/Endnote:
2. Nicholas Gregory Mankiw, Macroeconomics (Macmillan Publishers, 2025), chap. 2-1, EPUB.
Harvard

(nach: Cite Them Right 2022)

 Author surname(s), initial(s). (Year Published) Title. Edition.  [e-book reader]. Place of Publication: Publisher. Available at: URL or DOI (Accessed: day month year). Mankiw, N. G. (2025) Macroeconomics. 12th edn. [EPUB]. New York, NY: Macmillan. Available at: ProQuest Ebook Central https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/tuchemnitz/detail.action?docID=31813253&ppg=295 (Accessed: 19 February 2025). (Mankiw, 2025, chapter 2-1).
MLA Last Name, First Name of First Author, et al. Title of Book: Subtitle if Any. Edition if given and is not first edition, e-book ed., Publisher Name often shortened, Year of publication. Name of Database, DOI number/URL/Permalink or e-book format. with URL from commercial database:

Mankiw, Nicholas Gregory. Macroeconomics. 12th ed., e-book ed., Macmillan, 2025. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/tuchemnitz/detail.action?docID=31813253&ppg=295.

with indicating e-book format when used via e-book reader:

Mankiw, Nicholas Gregory. Macroeconomics. 12th ed., e-book ed., Macmillan, 2025. EPUB.

 (Mankiw, ch. 2-1)
IEEE J. K. Author, “Title of chapter in the book,” in Title of Published Book, xth ed. City of Publisher, State, Country: Abbrev. of Publisher, year, ch. x, sec. x. [Online]. Available: http://www.web.com [1] N. G. Mankiw, Macroeconomics, 12th ed. New York, NY, USA: Macmillan (Inc.), 2025. [Online]. Available: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/tuchemnitz/detail.action?docID=31813253&ppg=295 consecutive numbering of references in text: [1, ch. 2-1]

What else should be considered when referencing e-books?

If possible, a DOI or (nondatabase) URL with access date should always be linked in order to make the source clearly traceable. In general, the DOI is preferable to the URL in the citation context, as it never changes and always refers to the same target object. If there is only one URL and this URL links to a source in a commercial database behind a paywall, it can be replaced by the name of the database (e.g. ProQuest Ebook Central) according to some regulations. However, the APA guidelines explicitly state that the name of a database may be omitted if the sources can also be found elsewhere (e.g. on another platform).

Some citation guidelines recommend specifying the format of the e-book reader used, such as Kindle or EPUB, when citing from e-books that are accessed without a URL on an e-reader, an e-reader app or on a computer with e-reader software.

Where can I find more information?

For all those who want to delve deeper: The most important citation standards provide helpful information – especially on detailed questions regarding the correct citation of e-books without page numbers. The current editions of the regulations can be found in the University Library collection:

In addition, our MIKA e-learning module on Citation & Referencing provides a comprehensive overview of academic citing and referencing in general (it will be availabe in English soon). We are also happy to discuss all questions relating to citation and reference management with Zotero and Citavi in our personal “Book a Librarian” consultations.

 

Service
Screenshot Academic Search

EBSCO databases with a new look!

EBSCOhost has moved to a newly designed graphical user interface. This relates to all EBSCO-databases licensed by the University Library:

  • Academic Search Premier
  • American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodicals Collection
  • American Bibliography of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ABSEEES)
  • Business Source Complete
  • Central & Eastern European Academic Source (CEEAS)
  • Communication and Mass Media Complete
  • Computer Source
  • eBook Collection
  • EconLit with Full Text
  • Education Source
  • Ergonomics Abstracts
  • ERIC
  • GreenFILE
  • Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts
  • Middle Eastern & Central Asian Studies
  • MLA Directory of Periodicals
  • MLA International Bibliography
  • Political Science Complete
  • APA PsycArticles
  • APA PsycInfo
  • APA PsycTherapy
  • MEDLINE
  • PSYNDEX Literature with PSYNDEX Tests
  • Regional Business News
  • SocINDEX with Full Text
  • The Nation Archive (DFG), The New Republic Archive (DFG)
  • Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full Text
  • LGBTQ+ Source

In the drop-down menus below the search mask, filters such as publication period, document type or peer review as well as various search modes (e.g. AND/OR operators, “Also search in full text”) can be set before the search is carried out. Depending on the database selected, a list of relevant publications and a subject thesaurus are also available:

Screenshot of the EBSCO-Academic Search: Filter options, search mode settings, publication lists and thesauri can be found – depending on the selected database – in the menu below the search mask.

After the search, a pop-up menu can be opened by selecting “All filters” below the search mask. Here, further filters can be defined:

Screenshot of EBSCO-Academic Search: Filter options after the search

The “Document available?” button can also be used to check directly whether literature without full-text availability in EBSCO is licensed via other university library services:

Screenshot of EBSCO-Academic Search: The “Document available?” button is used to check whether the document searched for is licensed via another service of the library.

Only the indexes previously offered (e.g. index of persons) are no longer available. Instead, name suggestions are made directly when an author’s name is entered in the Author search field:

Screenshot of the EBSCO-Academic Search: suggestions are made when text is entered in the search field.

The functionalities in the dashboard for saved articles and searches as well as for citation have been expanded.

For more information, see the introductory tutorials to the new EBSCOhost or contact the library. All databases can be accessed via DBIS.

 

E-media, Service

New E-Media 2025

A futuristic and stylish library interior with people sitting and interacting with electronic media devices. The scene includes users reading e-books.

AI: DALL-E / AI-Promter: Tino Riedel

Whether in the library, on campus or from home, the e-offers (e-books, e-journals, databases) of the university library are always available to you. We have also revised our offering for the year 2025. We would like to inform you here about innovations and changes in this area.

We have compiled all the information on the expansion of the offer in a structured overview.

We would like to inform you about a new offer in more detail below.

ISO standards in Nautos
In addition to the DIN standards, the Nautos database now also contains a complete edition of the standards of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) with full-text access to the valid ISO standards and drafts. The Nautos standards database is updated monthly. The database can be used in German, English and French. It contains around 2.6 million data records from 28 countries, including standards, technical rules, German legislation with a technical reference, VDI guidelines as well as european (e.g. CEN/CENELEC) and international (e.g. ISO/IEC) rules. Nautos – as the successor product to Perinorm – not only offers research into standards, but also serves as a portal for accessing full texts.

We wish you a lot of pleasure in learning, researching and browsing through our new e-offers.

Open Science

Road2Openness – together in the Open Science Strategy Workshop

Decorative image for the tag Strategiewerkstatt; Policy; Lizenzen; Empfehlung; nachhaltige Organisationsstruckturen

Road2Openness – together in the Open Science Strategy Workshop – AI: Adobe Firefly / AI-Promter: Tino Riedel

Road2Openness – together in the Open Science Strategy Workshop Chemnitz University of Technology is one of five higher education institutions that have successfully applied to take part in the Open Science Strategy Workshop of the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft e.V. (Donors’ Association for the Promotion of Sciences and Humanities in Germany). As part of the project, the Stifterverband will support them for a year with workshops, consultation hours, exchange and networking.

Chemnitz University of Technology is represented by Professor Strobel, Vice-Rector for Research and University Development, and Ms. Malz, Head of the University Library. The targeted participation of the management level and the practical perspective should lead to synergy effects for Open Science (OS).

The primary task is to develop an OS policy for Chemnitz University of Technology. To this end, existing structures are to be built upon and, if necessary, the existing Open Science initiative of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences is to be further developed into a university-wide structure.

Specific objectives are the adoption of an Open Science strategy, including recommendations on open licences, open research data, the sensible use of AI and the creation of an organizational basis for permanent, effective cross-organizational structures and workflows.

Findings from the project strengthen our own expertise on Open Science, which in turn can be incorporated into other projects, for example in the European-funded project “across European Cross-Border University”. There, the task group “Across border R&I projects” deals with the implementation of Open Science in the 10 participating European Universities in order to implement sustainable models for the sharing of knowledge in cross-border regions.