Because of the crisis in scholarly communication, new scholarly publishing models are being developed that overcome the increasingly unworkable restrictions of conventional academic publishing. These models rely upon the principle of open access.

Conventional academic publishing restricts both the production of scholarship (through editorial oversight) and access to that scholarship (through copyright, subscription, and medium of publication). Alternative publishing models attempt to overcome these restrictions, retaining the benefits of speed, cost, and distribution available through electronic means while not sacrificing the necessary peer-review and editorial oversight that guarantee scholarly quality.

Alternative Publishing Models include: