Open Access Publishing and Its Impact on Research Dissemination in Academic Libraries

Abstract

This study examines the transformative impact of open access publishing models on research dissemination within academic library ecosystems. Through analysis of citation patterns, download statistics, and institutional repository data across 47 research universities, we demonstrate that open access articles achieve 2.3 times greater citation rates than paywalled counterparts within the first three years of publication. We further investigate the role of library-hosted publishing platforms in democratizing scholarly communication, finding that library-led open access journals maintain equivalent peer review standards while significantly reducing author processing charges. Our findings suggest that multi-tenant publishing infrastructure offers a sustainable path toward universal open access without compromising research quality or institutional autonomy.