I had been having difficulty finding any online-only philosophy journals, especially ones that were open access. I knew of one, Philosophy Compass, because I have been a semi-regular reader for the past two years.

Philosophy Compass (Blackwell Publishing) is an online-only journal of philosophy that is free, open access, and publishes the work of professionals in the field as well as the work of graduate students. It’s not a highly specialized journal, and that’s precisely the point. Philosophy Compass publishes articles that are supposed to help philosophers, graduate students, undergraduate students, and non-academics navigate the terrain of current philosophical debates. Most philosophy journals have become so entrenched in sub-discipline jargon and polemical responses that they have become difficult to read, especially if one does not closely follow the particular focus of that journal, or know much about the philosopher(s) contributing.  Philosophy Compass prides itself on helping readers keep abreast of current debates, where philosophers stand on certain issues, what journal articles they should consider reading, and any new research trends or developing theories. The editors at Philosophy Compass acknowledge that the journal will never be able to replace original research being published in more traditional philosophy journals, but it hopes to at least give those who are looking for this research a good understanding of the research/debate, and a place to look for further, more detailed work.

In my own research, I have found this journal particularly useful, especially when I am trying to learn more about a debate or about one philosopher’s view on a debate (which at times can be very difficult to do!).

After reading Naomi’s post, I went to the website she suggested and found 183 open access philosophy journals! That was definitely a pleasant surprise, as I certainly had not expected there to be such volume. I’ll probably spend some time going through them, and bookmarking the ones that pertain to my research interests. Thanks for that link, Naomi!