Open Access Journals in the Field of Chemistry: An Analytical Study of the DOAJ

The main purpose of the study was to analyze various aspects of open-access journals in the field of chemistry listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). The DOAJ is a platform that provides access to open-access journals that have undergone quality control processes. It serves as a comprehensive directory cataloging open-access scientific and scholarly journals across various subject categories. A survey methodology is well suited to investigating the evolution and current state of open-access journals in chemistry, following a comprehensive analysis. The study identified 315 open-access chemistry journals listed in the DOAJ, published in 16 languages by 101 publishers across 48 countries globally. General Chemistry (175) has the highest number of journals in the subdomain, followed by Organic & Bio-Chemistry (85). English is the predominant language of publication, with 295 journals exclusively using it. Switzerland ranks first with 51 publications in the DOAJ of Chemistry, followed by the United Kingdom with 46 journals. Most journals impose manuscript processing fees, while nearly one-third do not levy any charges. Moreover, nearly all journals use the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY) to ensure comprehensive copyright freedom. This analysis revealed that 2021 is significant due to the ad­­dition of 47 journals to the DOAJ. The open-access initiative has progressed markedly in recent decades, improving the accessibility of scientific research and intellectual discourse. Collaboration between academics and R&D organizations in the digital landscape is essential for the future success and growth of open-access publications.