The transition to open access represents an important step towards a more open research environment. This year, seven journals disseminated on erudit.org have taken this decisive step.
Érudit publishes more than 280 scholarly journals, the majority of which are already available in immediate open access. While more than eighty journals are still in restricted access (their articles are only freely accessible 12 months after publication), it should be stressed that their transition to open access may take several years. Indeed, these journals need to carry out a detailed analysis of their situation in order to put in place a transition plan. Ultimately, greater accessibility will inevitably mean greater visibility for researchers’ work.
The growing number of journals that have opted for open access is undeniable proof of the importance of this model for the dissemination and circulation of knowledge. Granting agencies such as the federal Tri-agency and the Fonds de Recherche du Québec (FRQ) also encourage this practice.
Discover the journals that flipped to open access
Many of the journals that have made the transition to open access this year have been firmly rooted in the academic landscape for several decades, and therefore have great heritage value. Given their long history of commercialization, their transition is an event of great importance.
We warmly invite you to learn more about them and discover the articles they have published:
- The Cahiers de géographie du Québec brings together theoretical and applied research articles covering various themes related to social geography across Quebec and Canada. Edited by Université Laval’s Department of Geography, the journal has published three issues a year since 1956. Its collection of predominantly French-language articles includes interdisciplinary texts from both theoretical and professional disciplines, including anthropology, sociology, and urban planning.
- Since 1983, the journal Cahiers de recherche sociologique has been contributing to the development of theoretical and methodological debates within the discipline of sociology. Published biannually by the Sociology Department of the Université du Québec à Montréal, its 67 thematic issues cover a multitude of subjects, reflecting its openness to the world and the issues that drive it.
- The articles published in Éducation inclusive, formerly known as Enfance en difficulté, aim to deepen our knowledge pertaining to the education of students with learning difficulties. Published annually since 2010, the journal focuses on the concepts of success, well-being and diversity, with particular attention paid to research that makes use of innovative methodology. The journal frequently publishes work by emerging French-speaking researchers, exploring themes such as learning disabilities and intellectual impairment.
- Frontières is dedicated to advancing and mobilizing knowledge about the phenomena that link life and death. Why, for example, do we feel the need to find meaning in death? And why exactly do we celebrate it? With a view to bridging the gap between theory and practice, the articles it publishes are aimed at academics and professionals alike, in the fields of social or health sciences.
- The only publication of its kind in Canada, the Journal of Aboriginal Economic Development (JAED) highlights research concerning the economic development of Aboriginal communities, and the articles it hosts cover a wide range of topics. More than just theoretical articles, JAED also publishes case studies, reviews, interviews, and even poetry.
- The McGill Law Journal / Revue de droit de McGill was founded in 1952 by two McGill law students. Their vision of an exclusively student-run journal carries on over 70 years later, as the journal continues to organize annual colloquia and symposia to foster dialogue between the academic and professional legal communities. Bilingual and published four times a year, the McGill Law Review was the first academic legal publication to be cited by the Supreme Court, which has now cited it more than 150 times.
- For over thirty years, the journal Nouvelles pratiques sociales (NPS) has been contributing to the sharing of knowledge in the field of social work. Affiliated with the School of Social Work at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), NPS highlights important sociological themes such as inequality, marginalization and precarity. The magazine also reflects on the social gestures and practices we can adopt to move towards a fairer society, linking scholarly research with the concrete practice of social work and citizen involvement.
Did you know? Seven journals also made the flip to open access in 2023. Read more about them here.