The following articles delve into the concept of open access publishing, exploring its fundamental principles and how it differs from traditional publishing models.

The definitions and forms of open access literature are explained, highlighting the importance of accessibility and the removal of barriers for readers. Moreover, an overview is given of the support available from research institutions for authors considering publishing open access, detailing the resources and policies they must navigate. Finally, one of the articles contrasts open access and non-open access books, examining differences in rights, quality, availability, cost and formats.

Together, these pieces provide a useful overview of the open access landscape, emphasising its growing significance in scholarly communication.

This collection of articles provides insights into the benefits and rationale behind publishing open access books, particularly highlighting diverse success stories of open access authors.

Publishing open access books offers significant advantages such as increased readership, wider distribution and higher impact, enabling both academic and non-academic audiences to access the books freely. Open access benefits early career researchers by boosting visibility, expanding ethical research sharing and enhancing citation opportunities, although challenges such as costs and publisher quality must be considered.

Despite misconceptions about the quality of open access, the growing support from funders and successful case studies highlight its potential for real-world impact, scholarly advancement and broader audience engagement.

Research data is vital for supporting open access books and maintaining research integrity. Good research data management (RDM) ensures that data is organised, stored and shared effectively, with institutional support often available for planning and ethics considerations. Sharing data in repositories can boost citations and collaboration opportunities, although ethical constraints, such as confidentiality in medical and social sciences, may limit data sharing.

Funders and publishers may require data to be openly available and some publishers offer tools to help manage and publish research data. The two articles in this section unfold these topics and also address important differences between open access and non-open access book publishing.

This collection of case studies features a group of authors who explain in their own words how open access publication has benefited their work. The authors come from different disciplinary and geographical backgrounds and have published with a range of publishers; they explore different reasons why open access was a successful choice for them.