Abstract. At present, Open Access (OA) becomes a widely recognized format for publishing scholarly articles and these materials are useful for self-directed E-learning. However, the potential of utilizing OA journals as studying material remains underexplored and efficient management of this process is difficult. Considering the fast expansion of OA articles, it is meaningful to discuss the topic in details from all related aspects, especially from the perspective of science education. This paper expresses authors' perspectives for current understanding on the impacts of OA on society and education, the pros and cons of OA for self-directed E-learning. Meanwhile, the paper outlined three basic characteristics of self-directed E-learning. Furthermore, the work proposed several key processes for efficient management of self-directed E-learning from OA journals from their teaching practices and discussed many other considerations regarding this studying strategy with the aim of promoting modern science education.