Want to publish articles for free? Learn all about diamond open access journals

Scientific journals were created as spaces for the validation and circulation of academic knowledge. In theory, they fulfill the function of providing visibility to discoveries, fostering debate among peers, and allowing science to advance. However, knowledge, which should theoretically be free, is still very expensive.

Why do journals apply APCs?

In reputable journals, before an article is published, it undergoes a process called peer review, where specialists in the field analyze the work, point out flaws, suggest improvements, and decide whether it is fit for dissemination. This filter is what guarantees the quality and reliability of what is published.

However, just as there's no such thing as a free lunch, this process involves costs related to the work of editors, reviewers, and technical staff, as well as the use of submission systems, plagiarism detection tools, typesetting, online publication, assignment of unique identifiers (like DOIs), and digital archiving.

Since many journals do not have public or institutional funding, they resort to what are called APCs (Article Processing Charges), which are fees charged to authors to enable the editorial cycle. In this way, the author does not pay for the publication of the article itself, but rather to keep the journal functioning – this, of course, in the best-case scenario.

Are there journals free from APCs?

Yes, there are good, free, and reliable scientific journals, both for reading and publishing!

These journals are part of what we callopen access, a model of scientific publication that allows anyone to read, download, and share articles for free, without payment or subscription barriers.

First of all, it's important to understand:

Among the open access models, diamond open access (💎) stands out, in which:

• The author does not pay to publish.
• O leitor does not pay to access and read.
• The journal's costs are made viable by institutional supportfrom universities, public bodies, or scientific societies, which cover the costs to guarantee open access, without passing expenses on to authors or readers.

Why isn't all journals diamond open access?

Not every journal can operate under the diamond model, as it requires continuous institutional funding – something increasingly rare in countries facing recurrent cuts in science, like Brazil. Thus, in this scenario, many journals end up resorting to charging authors fees (APCs) to avoid ceasing their activities.

But if there are diamond open access journals, why should I publish in journals that charge?

The answer to this question is not simple, nor should it serve to devalue the diamond model, which is, undoubtedly, the most just and necessary path for science. However, academic reality does not always align with this ideal.

Many fields of knowledge still have few consolidated diamond journals, especially those that require international visibility. In some fields, the highest-ranked journals in academic scoring systems (such as Qualis or Impact Factor) are precisely those that charge, since the process of maintaining quality and indexing is extremely bureaucratic and costly for the journal.

Furthermore, publishing in journals with APCs can be a strategic decision for those who need visibility, scores in calls for proposals, or academic recognition, especially when these journals are well-positioned in international indexing databases such as Scopus or Web of Science.

Beware of predatory journals!

Not every free journal is good. Some charge hidden fees, promise quick publication, and don't conduct genuine peer review.

Read our text “Predatory journals: what are they and how to avoid them?” to avoid falling into a trap.

How to find diamond open access journals? Get to know the UNAM search engine:

Considering the difficulty many researchers face in finding scientific journals that publish without charging fees, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) developed the Diamond Journals Search Engine. This tool was created to facilitate the identification of journals that follow the diamond open access model.

With a simple and intuitive interface, it allows you to filter journals by title, ISSN, publisher, area and sub-area of knowledge, as well as region, country, and publication language. When searching, the system informs whether the journal is indexed in databases like Scopus and Web of Science, and displays metrics such as CiteScore, Impact Factor (JCR), and SJR, when available. In some cases, it also presents the average time between submission and publication, which can help in choosing the ideal journal for you.

1. Access the official website of the Diamond Search Engine

Access the official link: https://digitalab-ssie.unam.mx/acuerdos/buscador_diamante

2. Understand the available filters

• Journal: Enter the full or partial name of the journal.
• ISSN: Enter the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) of the journal.
• Publisher: Select a publisher from the list.
• Category and Subcategory: Choose the knowledge area of the journal (e.g., Medicine and Health Sciences).
• Region: Select one or more geographic regions.
• Country: Select one or more countries.
• Publication Language: Choose the language(s) the journal publishes in.

Note: Every journal that follows good editorial practices clearly displays its ISSN on its website; if not, you can consult it on the portal: https://portal.issn.org/.

3. Performing a simple search

To start your search, first click the “Seeker” button.

After clicking, scrolling down the page a bit, you will find the filter options presented in step 2.

Let's suppose you want to find journals in the Health area.

First, click the Category dropdown menu and choose Medicine and Health Sciences. Then click Search.

Up to 15 results will be displayed per page. You can click the green (+) icon to expand and view more information about each journal.

4. Refining your search

You can also combine filters to refine your search, for example:

• Categoria: Medicine and Health Sciences
• Country: Brazil
• Language: Portuguese

Then click Search to get journals that fit all three criteria.

If many results are found, you can also use the “Filter by” field to type specific terms that appear in the list of journals, such as part of the journal's title or publisher, country, category, etc.

5. Restarting the search

To clear all filters and start a new search, click Restart.

6. Downloading the list in CSV format

If you prefer, you can download the resulting list of journals in CSV (spreadsheet) format by clicking the button:

This way, you can analyze, filter, and organize the journals as you prefer – even offline.

7. Attention: Not all that glitters is diamond!

Be careful when evaluating where to submit your article. Some journals appear as “diamond” access, but in practice belong to commercial publishers that may charge indirect fees. These cases are signaled by the tool with the warning “Commercial publisher” and highlighted in red in the results list.

Journals identified in this way can also be consulted directly in the PDF list provided by UNAM: click here to see.

8. Access the journal's official website

By clicking on the journal's title (in blue), you will be directed to its official website.

Read the available information carefully to confirm the editorial policies and submission formats.

Source of images: Buscador de Revistas Diamante – UNAM