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How to know which journal is open access?

I have searched many journals homepage which give an option "Supports Open Access"

But I know open access journals after accepting papers charge huge amount of money from authors which I wont be able to give.

So can someone please help me to understand how to be sure that I dont fall into such traps and I submit in those journals which charge money after accepting my paper?

The following link is of Discrete Maths which is a top-journal. Still it states open access. https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/discrete-mathematics/articles-in-press

If someone helps me to know how to understand it,I will be really very grateful.

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    Maybe it's a difference in fields but I'm always amazed that researchers at the level where they are able to publish as the lead author are not aware of the trusted journals in that field. But I'm also confused by the question since in my experience every journal has a section for potential authors telling you what the fees are. Or are you asking for a list of journals, in that case, it's a shopping question..
    – user64845
    Commented Sep 3, 2018 at 15:28
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    Every (?) open access journal charges authors. Since they aren't charging people to read the articles, charging to publish them is their revenue stream. If you're with a university or other research institution, they may have money set aside for paying these charges. If not, some journals offer reductions or waivers for those without the ability to pay.
    – Flyto
    Commented Sep 3, 2018 at 15:40
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    What does fame have to do with anything?
    – Tobias Kildetoft
    Commented Sep 3, 2018 at 16:38
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    @Flyto this is true in many cases, perhaps most, but it is not true in all cases - which makes me curious as to your certainty. Off the top of my head I can name the New York Journal of Mathematics, Documenta Mathematica, and Theory and Applications of Categories
    – Yemon Choi
    Commented Sep 3, 2018 at 16:52
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    @Flyto journals that practice diamond open access (neither author nor reader pays) typically have external funding. For example the Theory and Applications of Categories journal listed by Yemon Choi says (tac.mta.ca/tac/geninfo.html) that they receive funding and technical support from various sources. These journals commonly cut costs wherever possible as well (e.g. regarding acquisition work, marketing, etc).
    – Allure
    Commented Sep 4, 2018 at 0:09

3 Answers 3

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You can tell whether a journal is open access from their website. "Supports open access" doesn't immediately say if the journal is completely open access, but it does mean that you will be able to publish open access in it. In other words, it's possible the journal practices the hybrid model where it is subscription, but offers open access to whoever wants it.

For Discrete Mathematics itself, you linked a ScienceDirect webpage. ScienceDirect is not the journal's publisher - it's just a database. What you really want is the journal's webpage itself. Clicking on the "Supports open access" tab on the left leads to this page, which tells you everything you want to know. This is a hybrid journal alright, and if you want open access the article processing charge is USD 1500 excluding taxes (potentially lower if you are funded by the Wellcome trust and Research Councils UK).

If you are unable to find whether the journal is open access on its webpage, assume it isn't. If the journal claims to be open access but does not list its article processing charges, do not publish there, since one of the key criterion to calling a journal/publisher predatory is whether its APCs are clearly listed.

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But I know open access journals after accepting papers charge huge amount of money from authors which I wont be able to give.

So can someone please help me to understand how to be sure that I dont fall into such traps and I submit in those journals which charge money after accepting my paper?

If you are a PhD student, the first person you should talk to about publishing is your supervisor. They know the field and they can recommend which journals/conferences to submit to (in case you are not a PhD student, try to find somebody experienced in your field that you can ask about this).

While open-access is important, it is not the only criterion to choose a journal for submission: visibility, relevance to the topic of your paper, editorial policy and length of the reviewing process should also be taken into account. This is why it is crucial to get advice from an experienced researcher if you are starting in the field.

As a side note, I think that paying any research costs (and especially publication costs) with your own money is a bad idea: maybe your PhD grant can cover such costs, or your supervisor might have access to other funding.

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You are overlooking the most relevant form of open access: green open access, in which the publisher allows the author to post a preprint or postprint (or even the final published version of the paper) online where it can be accessed for free. A huge number of journals -- including the one you have mentioned, Discrete Mathematics -- allow green OA, and it doesn't cost you a thing.

By far the best resource in this regard is Sherpa/Romeo. The people who run it have already done all the work for you. Simply enter the name of the journal and it will tell you in great detail what the publisher allows or does not allow.

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