Is access really a problem?
Yes. Authors may not be able to freely distribute their research depending on the publisher's policies. Even top research institutions are unable to afford subscriptions to all scholarly literature. Libraries have to make tough decisions on what subscriptions can continue as journal prices rise much faster than inflation and their budgets. Interlibrary loan can help fill access gaps, but sometimes license agreements can restrict what can be loaned.
Are open access journals peer reviewed?
Yes, many scholarly open access journals are peer reviewed just like traditionally published journals. The open access designation doesn't mean a journal won't have a peer review process. Many indexes (like the Directory of Open Access Journals) only include open access journals that have are peer reviewed (check the directory's policies to verify). Read the journal's policies before deciding to publish in it.
Are open access journals as good quality as traditionally published journals?
Yes. Open access has many of the same features as traditional publishing including peer review, journal prestige, and quality. An open access designation is not a comment on the quality - in fact there are many high quality open access journals that score high on various journal metrics (like journal impact factor or Eigenfactor) and utilize robust peer review models. As with all publication types, evaluate the title for quality.
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