This document discusses open access in the social sciences. It notes that the social sciences can be vaguely defined and include different disciplines. This explains the different attitudes towards open access within the social sciences. A 2005 German study found that social scientists had less knowledge about open access compared to other disciplines and rarely published in open access journals. International studies confirmed these findings. However, numerous open access services are available in Germany but fewer than 20% of documents on these services come from the social sciences. The acceptance of open access depends on recognition within specific expertise areas, and some German social science organizations now support open access.