# Open access

**Source**: https://subjectguides.library.unsw.edu.au/open-access
**Parent**: https://subjectguides.library.unsw.edu.au/open-access/unsworks

Open access (OA) is a set of principles and a range of practices through which research outputs are distributed online, free of cost or other access barriers. Through licensing via an open licence (usually a [Creative Commons License](https://creativecommons.org/about/cclicenses/)), freely available outputs can also be legally shared and reused. Therefore, open access is more than just free access.

The original definitions of open access were first proposed in [Budapest in 2002,](https://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read) [Berlin in 2003](https://openaccess.mpg.de/Berlin-Declaration) and [Bethesda in 2003](https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/4725199).

- Definition and information sourced from [Open Access Australasia](https://oaaustralasia.org/what-is-open-access/)