From The Eye:
Print publications have been the currency of academia since time immemorial, but the cheap, instant distribution network of the Internet has thrown the publishing world into turmoil. In an environment where research is done at an unprecedented rate, new models for publishing academic works are being explored.
In most traditional journals, the submitting author cedes his copyright, giving the publisher the right to print and sell the material. Recently, a number of journals have sprung up offering free access to anyone with an Internet connection. These “open access” publications undergo the same process of peer review as traditional journals, but they are primarily distributed digitally. Funded by grants, advertising, or publication fees, these journals strive to bring the products of scholarly labor to a broader audience.