How I use DOAJ metadata in my work and research

This guest blog post by Li Bo offers a librarian’s perspective on the core role of the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) in academic work, including discovering, accessing, and analyzing high-quality open access journals, as well as its practical applications in journal selection, data analysis, and promoting open science.

As an advocate for Open Access (OA), I am dedicated to promoting the free sharing of research results, enabling more people to access academic knowledge without barriers. My journey with OA began in 2004 while working at the National Science Library of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NSLC), where I became interested in emerging publishing models and the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Later, when I joined China Education Publications Import and Export Corporation, DOAJ remained an indispensable tool for me. It’s not just a database of high-quality global OA journals but a platform offering free academic resources to researchers, librarians, and the public. In this blog, I’ll share how I use DOAJ metadata in my work and research and discuss its significance for OA.

What is DOAJ? Why is it so important?

DOAJ was established in 2003 to enhance the visibility and accessibility of OA academic journals. It includes over 20,000 peer-reviewed journals, covering more than 10 million articles across disciplines like science, technology, humanities, and social sciences. These journals and articles are freely accessible, requiring no subscription fees or facing paywall restrictions.

For me, DOAJ is more than a journal directory—it’s a cornerstone of the OA movement. By providing a rigorously curated list of journals, DOAJ ensures academic quality while helping researchers avoid predatory publishers. Its mission is to:

“increase the visibility, accessibility, reputation, usage and impact of quality, peer-reviewed, open access scholarly research journals globally, regardless of discipline, geography or language. DOAJ is committed to being 100% independent and maintaining all of its primary services and metadata as open to everyone.” 

This aligns perfectly with OA’s core principle: democratizing knowledge for a broader audience. Whether it’s researchers in resource-poor regions or institutions unable to afford high subscription fees, DOAJ opens the door to the academic world.

How I Use DOAJ Metadata in My Work and Research

As a longtime user of DOAJ, I rely on its metadata in various ways. Here are some specific scenarios:

1. Finding Open Access Journals
   Whenever I start a new research project or seek a publishing platform, DOAJ is my go-to resource. It allows me to filter journals by subject, language, and license (such as Creative Commons), saving time and ensuring I select OA-compliant options.
2. Accessing Full-Text Articles
   A key benefit of DOAJ is free access to full-text articles. Since all its journals are OA, I can read, download, and share articles without restrictions. This is especially useful for quick literature checks or collaboration with colleagues lacking subscription access.
3. Using Metadata for Research Analysis
   DOAJ’s metadata offers rich, structured data beyond basic journal details, opening up endless possibilities for research analysis. As someone interested in bibliometrics and research trends, I often use it to analyze trends in academic publishing.

I have also examined Diamond OA publishing trends. By downloading DOAJ’s journal metadata, filtering journals without APCs, sorting by publication year, and analyzing the data, I examined the growth of Diamond OA journals over the past five years. This analysis helped me understand the current state and development trends of Diamond OA and provided data support for my work.

4. Promoting Open Access in the Community
   As an OA advocate, I use DOAJ to highlight the benefits of publishing in OA journals. At conferences and workgroups, I recommend it as a trusted resource and suggest verifying if a target journal is listed in DOAJ before submission—a straightforward way to assess its quality and OA commitment.

Additionally, I create recommended journal lists for colleagues and librarians based on DOAJ metadata, helping them navigate the complex publishing landscape and promoting OA adoption.

The Benefits of DOAJ Metadata

DOAJ metadata offers advantages beyond my personal use. Here’s why it’s essential for researchers and OA advocates:

1. Free Access to a Vast Collection of Academic Literature
   With over 21,000 journals and millions of articles, DOAJ creates an unparalleled academic resource pool. This extensive OA collection lets researchers freely explore diverse fields of study.
2. Effective Filtering and Search Functions
   DOAJ’s user-friendly interface supports filtering journals and articles by subject, language, and publisher, making it easy to locate specific content. The article-level search for some journals further enhances efficiency.
3. Supporting the Open Science Practice
   Using and promoting DOAJ strengthens Open Science practice. Its strict screening criteria—transparent peer-review and publishing policies—uphold academic integrity, reducing the influence of predatory journals and fostering a fairer publishing ecosystem.
4. Metadata for Analysis and Data Mining
   DOAJ’s article metadata is openly available via CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0) Public Domain Dedication, downloadable as full datasets or accessible via API, supports integration into library systems, bibliometric research, and trend analysis. For example, you can study OA journal growth in a discipline or reuse data in discovery services, search engines, and tools identifying quality OA journals.

Getting Started with DOAJ Metadata

If you’re new to DOAJ, here are my tips:

1. Exploring the DOAJ Website
   Visit doaj.org to familiarize yourself with its features. Browse journals by subject, search for articles, or use advanced options. Experiment with filters to find the best search approach for your needs.
2. Downloading Metadata for Analysis
   For data analysis, download DOAJ’s metadata files (in CSV or JSON formats). Import them into tools like Excel or Python for filtering, statistics, or visualization—such as calculating the proportion of no-APC journals in a field.
3. Using the DOAJ API
   Advanced users can access journal and article metadata programmatically via DOAJ’s API. It’s ideal for embedding data into applications or automating large-scale collection. The API documentation on the website is straightforward to use.
4. Staying Updated
   Follow DOAJ’s social media and blogs for the latest news and updates.

Embracing DOAJ

As an OA advocate, I warmly invite you to explore DOAJ and integrate it into your research toolkit. DOAJ is more than a directory—it’s a powerful ally for researchers, librarians, and publishers. By providing free access to high-quality academic research, it advances the global OA movement. Whether you’re finding journals, accessing articles, or analyzing metadata, DOAJ is there to support you.

Li Bo is from China Education Publications Import & Export Corporation (CEPIEC). Since 2019, she has independently run the WeChat public account “图情那些事儿” (which means “Library & Information Insights”), where she shares news and insights on scholarly publishing and open science. In 2023, she was named Open Science Ambassador by the publisher Wiley.