Academic research is predominantly publicly funded. Therefore, research results should in principle be freely accessible to all. Moreover, Open Access is now required by many research organizations, including funding guidelines. Free access through Open Access also brings benefits at various levels.

Among the reasons in favour of Open Access are:

• Greater benefits of research: Open Access publications can maximize the benefits of your research and the investment that goes into it. According to studies, Open Access publications for instance are used more; they have positive economic effects, and improve science communication and knowledge transfer to society. Easier re-usability helps prevent duplication of effort. It also promotes collaboration across national and disciplinary barriers.
• Increased visibility: With Open Access, you improve the findability and discoverability of literature, and studies show that Open Access publications are more widely used. Studies also point to a higher impact of Open Access publications in society. Open Access may also potentially lead to higher citation rates, although this is not clearly supported by studies, as well as to more collaboration and funding opportunities.
• Qualified feedback: If you publish in Open Access, you can make your research results freely accessible immediately in principle and thus receive feedback from the community more quickly. This way, you can improve the quality of your research.
• Good research practice and compliance with funding guidelines: If you publish in Open Access, this is in line with guidelines of good research practice and you comply with funding guidelines at the same time. After all, research-funding agencies more and more expect the results of funded research projects to be published in Open Access.