Author Archives: Davide Del Duca

About Davide Del Duca

Teamleader for digital collections at Chemnitz University of Technology E-Mail: davide.del-duca@bibliothek.tu-chemnitz.de Phone: +49 371 531-36501 Chat/Matrix: https://matrix.to/#/@dadel:tu-chemnitz.de

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
Innovation & Technology, Open Science, Science

OpenAlex: a free alternative to Scopus and Web of Science?

Scientific research tools such as Scopus, Web of Science or Dimensions have now become established. Many researchers have stored complex search queries in their favourite database. However, the cost of these platforms is a significant item in the budgets of libraries and research institutions.

What if there was a bold, free alternative to these expensive tools? Actually, there is, and there has been for some time, but only recently has it started to gain traction: OpenAlex.

OpenAlex can be defined as “a fully open catalogue of the global research system”. It has been maintained by OurResearch since around mid-2021 and the data comes from the Microsoft Academic Graph, Crossref, institutional repositories (via OAI-PMH) and much more. OpenAlex has access to a large amount of data and is based on persistent IDs (DOIs, ORCID, ROR, etc.).

Don’t be fooled by the minimalist interface and the absence of corporate design colours. OpenAlex concentrates on the essentials and does its job very well. Until a few months ago, queries could only be made via the API. Now it has a graphical user interface that is constantly being updated and improved. I have an account where I can save my queries. I find it simple and useful, but perhaps it is still too little for a researcher. However, development continues.

I then ran some tests and entered the name of TU Chemnitz to see the results:

Here the results from Scopus:

Very good. We have about 6,000 more results than Scopus. However, this does not mean that all the works displayed are actually related to Chemnitz University of Technology. Quality control still needs to be improved in OpenAlex. However, I was also impressed by the presence of some graphics.

If you are a researcher, I invite you to enter your name in OpenAlex and check that all the data is correct. It is also possible to calculate your own H-index with this script in Jupyter Notebook (if you need help, write to me).

I also tested this script, which uses the data from OpenAlex to show which co-operations TU Chemnitz has with other universities worldwide. Here is the result:

This is only a first approach to OpenAlex, and it is necessary to deepen the knowledge of the data structure and quality control. There is a lot of potential in it and its possibilities are currently limited, but it is an interesting project and it is worth giving it a chance.

Nicht kategorisiert
Dialogue box between Scopus and ORCID.

From Scopus to ORCID

Scopus is a huge information database. Your publications as a researcher can be spread over several profiles. Avoid this by linking your ORCID profile to Scopus.
This will allow Scopus to link all your profiles with similar names (e.g. D. Del Duca, Del Duca Davide, David Del Duca) to a single ORCID ID to avoid duplicate entries that may affect the chances of your research being found.

Visit this link (https://orcid.scopusfeedback.com/#/) and click on “Start”. A dialogue box will open asking you to give Scopus access to your ORCID ID.

Dialogue box between Scopus and ORCID.

Scopus to ORCID dialogue box

You will then be forwarded to Scopus where you will be presented with a list of similar names. After selecting your profile and the publications linked to your profile, ORCID collects your publication information and saves it to your ORCID ID.
When you publish there will be no more duplicates of your name and your research will be linked only to you.

If you need help or have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

Nicht kategorisiert

“Neues Handbuch Hochschullehre” – a new database

Neues Handbuch Hochschullehre

Chemnitz University Library has acquired the licence for the database “Neues Handbuch Hochschullehre”. The contents are particularly relevant for lecturers at Chemnitz University of Technology at all levels who want to improve their teaching.

Among other things, you will learn how to

  • supervise students in an activating and motivating way,
  • plan and organise events in a way that is suitable for students,
  • use digital media sensibly,
  • promote key competencies and academic work,
  • accompany and check competence-oriented learning processes despite tight curricula,
  • evaluate events and departments.

Access to the website is now possible through the university’s IPs here: https://www.nhhl-bibliothek.de

Innovation & Technology, Open Science

Why your research career needs a Persistent Identifier

A Persistent Identifier is a kind of number plate that we wear in the web. After all, we use PIDs on a daily basis in our analogue world, such as when we are asked for our identity card number. Only here we are on the web. Fortunately behind a Persistent ID there is an organization that ensures its persistence over time. At this point someone might reply that the address of a website is a persistent ID. Wrong, because behind it there is not always an association to ensure its long-term durability.

A PID is “a code which remains constant as a means of identifying a digital object regardless of changes to its location on the internet”.

 

Den Beitrag weiterlesen Why your research career needs a Persistent Identifier →