Table 7 RLTW Matrix on the aspects of financing and (political) support as conditions for the acceptance, dissemination and use of OA in VET research

Technical and structural conditions

Authors know about financing opportunities for OA publications and use publication funds; Authors do not need to pay for publishing their research (cost-free infrastructure).

Publication fund is in place; APC application and settlement processes are available and are communicated to authors.

Financing and support for repositories and appropriate user-friendly infrastructures are in place; Cost-free use of information technology infrastructure.

Policy-related and normative conditions

OA guidelines exist at federal state level and have been implemented in the form of guidelines at universities; Financial support for OA publications is attainable at little organisational cost.

Research funders stipulate access to financial support for OA publications; Clear and easy to follow regulations on how to publish at institutional level are in place. A support structure for external publications is also in place.

Financing of and support for gold OA, e.g. in the case of publicly funded research projects.

Conditions inherent within the academic research system

Authors accept the requirement to publish in OA when third party funding is being used; Specialist academic associations issue OA guidelines or else support the idea of OA and may make funding available.

Information on alternative ways of dissemination of academic research findings, e.g. repositories, is communicated to target groups; OA publications within the professional community foster the dissemination of OA.

Business models are transformed, causing funding streams to shift.