Open files

It studies the origin of the open file model or open access (AO), definitions, accessibility, use, advantages and disadvantages. It analyses the relevance of this model as a new alternative for free access to scientific information, available in electronic publications and databases, as well as its contribution to the progress of science through the production of new knowledge. It analyses the information in its origin and conceptual evolution. It deals with the term scientific information showing its importance in the field of science. It discusses scientific communication in terms of the conceptual and historical approach, its evolution and prominence as a fundamental element for the emergence of the open archive. It discusses the use of scientific communication in the contemporary world and its contribution to members of the scientific community and the general public. It shows the existence of grey literature, its concepts and presents its importance for science, addressing historical aspects and identifying the types of documents that this scientific literature deals with.