The Diamond Discovery Hub criteria for diamond open access journals

Abstract

Purpose. This article outlines the operational criteria developed to assess the Diamond Open Access (Diamond OA) status of scholarly journals for inclusion in the Diamond Discovery Hub (DDH). It provides a pragmatic framework for identifying journals that operate without charging fees to authors or readers, thereby supporting the integration of these journals into the European Diamond Capacity Hub (EDCH).

Approach. The criteria were developed by a collaborative task force consisting of members from the EU-funded DIAMAS and CRAFT-OA projects. The methodology included drafting initial requirements, conducting community consultations, including feedback from the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), and refining the standards into six operational criteria.

Findings. The task force identified six operational criteria for Diamond OA: 1. Persistent identification, 2. Status as a scholarly journal, 3. Open access with open licences, 4. No fees, 5. Open to all authors, and 6. Community owned.

Practical implications. Meeting these criteria enables Diamond Publishers and Service Providers (DPSP) to register their journals as Diamond OA journals in the DDH, thereby increasing the visibility and recognition of their journals within the European Research Area (ERA).

Originality/Value. This paper presents the six operational Diamond OA criteria, their verification guidelines and highlights opportunities for further application and discussion.