Publication patterns of Australian academics and the impact on open access publishing

This paper reports on research that is exploring the publication patterns and engagement with open access publication processes by Australian academics. The findings are based on a survey of academics that was administered in late 2006. The survey explores the publication process of the respondents¿ last article (last instance analysis), as well as discussion of their perceptions and general engagement with open access publication processes. The practice is predominantly one of focusing on international journals, possibly at the expense of local publications. While there is some support for open access publication processes, the last instance analysis suggests that this is not currently extensive.