Open access publications

How to make your old articles into open access

Movement towards "open access" (free access ) propagates in the scientific community, so that the research results are available to all, free of charge. Indeed, the editors of scientific journals primarily use a model of "pay-wall", the user has to pay around ~30$ U.S. for only able to read an article. Currently, university's librairies pays subscriptions, which allows academic community to have access to a number of journals, depending on the budget available. Recently, even the top universities like Harvard denounce these prohibitive costs¹ . The scientists themselves want more than their research circulate freely while granting agencies that fund research from public funds now require that scientific publications are available to all (usually a maximum of 12 months).

But what happens publications published several years ago?

Is it still possible to make them available without violating copyright agreements signed, here's how:

1. Do a search on Romeo to know the specific policies the journal in which your article was published.
2. You will see this:
   
3. In most cases you will learn that you can archive a personal version (author can archive post-print (ie final draft post-refereeing)), that is to say, the text which was accepted after peer-revision, but the layout (pdf file), the "value added" of the publisher. It is good to check on website of the journal/publisher, to see if more specific conditions applied (often an embargo period of between 6 and 36 months).
4. Use your text (often .doc format) that you saved in your personal archives. If you do not have it:
   1. Get the text on the publisher's website (sometimes available in html format), copy it to a text editor
   2. Alternatively, extract text directly from the pdf file with a tool like this
   In any case, you will have to do some cleaning and shaping to make the document readable. You should usually have to add a statement such as "Final publication is available at http ...". Take this opportunity to add the complete reference to help your readers to cite you correctly. Convert the pdf to make sure your layout is maintained.
5. Find a directory where you can download your article. Most universities make available servers to their teachers and students (in our case, papyrus). Otherwise, do a search on this site.

These directories are perennial and provide an address that you can spread, either on your website, your CV, social networks or sites like Mendeley and ResearchGate.

A couple of hours well spent that will benefit the entire scientific community!

¹Harvard University says it can't afford journal publishers' prices

More lecture on open access

• Nature 495, 426–429, The cost of knowledge doi:10.1038/495426a
• Budapest Open Access Initiative
• Open science movement
• CIHR open access policy

Publications freely available :

• Bosoi C et al., 2012, Free Radic Biol Med, Systemic oxidative stress is implicated in the pathogenesis of brain edema in rats with chronic liver failure.
• Rose C, 2010, Neurochem Int, Increase brain lactate in hepatic encephalopathy: Cause or consequence?
• Kristiansen R et al., 2010, Scand J Gastroenterol, Neuropathological changes in the brain of pigs with acute liver failure.
• Yang X et al., 2010, Metab Brain Dis, Portacaval anastomosis-induced hyperammonemia does not lead to oxidative stress.
• Bosoi C et al., 2009, Metab Brain Dis, Identifying the direct effects of ammonia on the brain.
• Chatauret N et al., 2006, J Hepatol, Direct molecular and spectroscopic evidence for increased ammonia removal capacity of skeletal muscle in acute liver failure.
• Sen S et al., 2006, Crit Care Med, Effect of albumin dialysis on intracranial pressure increase in pigs with acute liver failure: a randomized study.
• Ytrebø L et al., 2006, Scand J Gastroenterol, Systemic and regional hemodynamics in pigs with acute liver failure and the effect of albumin dialysis.
• Bélanger M et al., 2005, J Hepatol, Mild hypothermia prevents brain edema and attenuates up-regulation of the astrocytic benzodiazepine receptor in experimental acute liver failure.
• Rose C et al., 2005, J Biol Chem, Acute insult of ammonia leads to calcium-dependent glutamate release from cultured astrocytes, an effect of pH.
• Vaquero J et al., 2005, J Hepatol, Keeping cool in acute liver failure: rationale for the use of mild hypothermia.
• Jalan R et al., 2004, Metab Brain Dis, Hypothermia in acute liver failure.
• Ytrebø L et al., 2004, Scand J Gastroenterol, Contractile response of femoral arteries in pigs with acute liver failure.
• Zwingmann C et al., 2004, Brain Res, Selective alterations of brain osmolytes in acute liver failure: protective effect of mild hypothermia.
• Chatauret N et al., 2003, Gastroenterology, Effects of hypothermia on brain glucose metabolism in acute liver failure: a H/C-nuclear magnetic resonance study.
• Desjardins P et al., 2003, Neurochem Int, Induction of astrocytic cyclooxygenase-2 in epileptic patients with hippocampal sclerosis.
• Chatauret N et al., 2002, Metab Brain Dis, Mild hypothermia in the prevention of brain edema in acute liver failure: mechanisms and clinical prospects.
• Rose C, 2002, Metab Brain Dis, Increased extracellular brain glutamate in acute liver failure: decreased uptake or increased release?
• Sauvageau A et al., 2002, Metab Brain Dis, Increased expression of "peripheral-type" benzodiazepine receptors in human temporal lobe epilepsy: implications for PET imaging of hippocampal sclerosis.
• Chatauret N et al., 2001, Metab Brain Dis, Mild hypothermia prevents cerebral edema and CSF lactate accumulation in acute liver failure.
• Desjardins P et al., 1999, Metab Brain Dis, Effect of portacaval anastomosis on glutamine synthetase protein and gene expression in brain, liver and skeletal muscle.