There are also hybrid journal, where the author pays for Open Access only for his/her article in the journal, which is then freely accessible. Other articles in the journal remain paid articles (e.g. journals published by Elsevier, Springer). The question is whether this model is consistent with one of the fundamental objectives of the Open Access movement – reducing the costs associated with scholarly publishing.

Most journals that offer the option of publishing only certain articles under Open Access also offer the option of self-archiving the accepted version of the article, free of charge but subject to an embargo period (usually 12-24 months after publication). The fee for opening an article is usually more expensive than in the case of similar fully open access journals.

The hybrid approach to open publishing is thus particularly relevant for publications supported by projects that require open access immediately (e.g. Horizon Europe).