"Open access" is a publishing model that began in response to exorbitantly priced subscriptions. The publishers are often Universities or Academic Societies.
The published articles in an open access journal do go through a scholarly process prior to publication.
The journals are free, unrestricted, web based access to scholarly research. There are two primary vehicles for providing open access: open access journals, and open access archives or repositories.
The Open Access movement began in the sciences but recently has moved into the humanities. See below for links to Open Access portals.
The following rubric, linked below, is posted to the Loyola Digital Commons. The tool takes users through a thoughtful review of the Open Access source they are considering. The tool is helpful for students who are using Open Access sources for their research, or faculty considering an Open Source publisher.
Rele, Shilpa; Kennedy, Marie; and Blas, Nataly, "Journal Evaluation Tool" (2017). LMU Librarian Publications & Presentations. 40. http://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/librarian_pubs/4