For this unit, we have been focusing on open access and the pros and cons that come with it. When looking for a journal that adhered to open access, I wanted to find one in either the field of communication or health since my research is focused on health communication.
Ultimately, the journal that I choose to focus on was the ‘Integrative Medicine Research‘ journal. This open access journal is based out of Korea and happens to be the official journal of the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine. I choose to look into this journal for a number of reasons. One, I found it interesting that the concept of open access is becoming a global phenomenon. Secondly, this journal has a high emphasis of readability on an international scale.
Each of the articles that are published within this journal are peer reviewed and functions as a subsidized open access journal. This journal aims to serve a wide variety of people, with a heavy emphasis on clinical researchers. Additionally, authors do not have to pay for processing charges or open access fees thus furthering its accessibility to academics and the public alike.
Open access within the United States collegiate system was something that I was already excited about, but even more exciting is seeing it catch on in an international scale. Research is so important and being able to access it worldwide is great! Research should be shared, and having journals such as this one make sharing science and health that much easier especially since we are an a very interconnected, global economy.
