Green open access
Green open access means depositing a copy of the manuscript in an institutional or subject repository. The published version stays with the journal; the deposited version becomes freely readable, sometimes after an embargo. It costs the author nothing.
Reviewed 1 August 2026
In practice
Why it belongs in a fees discussion
Green is the route that removes the charge question entirely. If a funder accepts a repository copy, an author facing an unaffordable APC has a legitimate alternative that does not depend on any waiver.
The limits
Publishers set which version may be deposited and when. Embargoes of six to twenty-four months are common, and some funders do not accept embargoed deposits.
Common misconceptions
Green open access is not a lesser form of publication. The article is published normally; only the freely readable copy differs.