ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we consider what our analysis of the theory-practice relationship in the domain of open access tells us about OA as a phenomenon and its potential futures. Here we are building again on our work reported in earlier chapters, and we will further reflect on some of the implications of our research, this time on what they tell us about open access. We begin by summarising what we have found about how theory is applied (and generated) in studies of OA, drawing in particular on our findings in Parts 3 and 4 of this book. We will go on to consider what this shows about the types of theory that are involved, reflecting on the overview we provided in Part 2, and which we touched on briefly in the previous chapter. We will then reflect on what this means for our understanding of OA and its future, keeping our focus on the points where theory and practice intersect. This last section will involve us drawing from all the previous parts of the book.
