The Institutional Repository Rediscovered: What Can a University Do for Open Access Publishing?

Universities have always been one of the key players in open access publishing and have encountered the particular obstacle that faces this Green model of open access, namely, disappointing author uptake. Today, the university has a unique opportunity to reinvent and to reinvigorate the model of the institutional repository. This article explores what is not working about the way we talk about repositories to authors today and how can we better meet faculty needs. More than an archive, a repository can be a showcase that allows scholars to build attractive scholarly profiles, and a platform to publish original content in emerging open-access journals.     

Open Access,Equity, and Strong Economy in Developing and Transition Countries: Policy Perspective

Since January 2007, Ukraine has a law mandating open access to publicly funded research. Most of the Parliament members supported it. The law is already the second parliamentary inquiry mandating the Cabinet of Ministers to take actions on creating favorable conditions for developing open access repositories in archives, libraries, museums, and scientific and research institutions with open access conditions to publicly funded research. Nevertheless, the “bottom-up” approaches of Ukrainian universities and research centers as well as political support from the principle legislative body in the country, have still not resulted in a network of well-functioning institutional repositories. The article highlights recent open access developments and presents the lists of open access benefits for the developing and transition countries and regions.     

Libraries Without Walls 7:

Abstract

Megan Dazey speaks with Diane Graves, University Librarian, about her work with open access and scholarly communication at Trinity University. Graves discusses Trinity University's recent adoption of an open access policy, the issues that led to this decision, and what it means for faculty at Trinity. Issues taken under consideration include the significant journal price increase of the last decade, authors who wish to retain copyright of their works, and the interaction of the open access policy with Trinity's institutional repository.     

Open Educational Resources and Institutional Repositories

ABSTRACT

This installment of The Balance Point column delves into the ways in which libraries create and store open educational resources (OER) in institutional repositories (IR), addressing issues such as preservation and versioning of OER content, copyright and licensing, funding, and staffing. Drawing on interviews and the literature, programs at institutions such as the University of Minnesota, the University of Kansas, and Grand Valley State University are highlighted.     

Research Online: Digital Commons as a Publishing Platform at the University of Wollongong, Australia

Since 2006, Research Online, the University of Wollongong's open access institutional repository has utilised Bepress' Digital Commons software to make available published research outputs and digital theses. This article discusses the outcomes of recent academic demand for its use as a publishing tool of university journals and conference proceedings. The Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice is provided as an example. Digital Commons includes the editorial management software, EdiKit, which assists in managing submissions, editorial functions, and peer review. Also considered are changes to scholarly communication patterns arising out of the new open access, electronic only, publication regimes.     

An Interview with Heather Joseph

Heather Joseph talks about her career with SPARC and BioOne. She discusses the NIH mandate that NIH-funded research will be deposited into PubMed Central, and she shares her views on some of the controversial issues the mandate has raised about copyright, peer review, and embargo periods. She also addresses the recent decision by the Harvard faculty to make their scholarly output accessible through the university’s institutional repository, and she suggests ways that librarians can help their faculties prepare for open access.     

Electronic journals and the paradigm shift: 1995 Spring forum of the Canadian Serials Industry Systems Advisory Committee

Abstract

Since 2006, Research Online, the University of Wollongong's open access institutional repository has utilised Bepress' Digital Commons software to make available published research outputs and digital theses. This article discusses the outcomes of recent academic demand for its use as a publishing tool of university journals and conference proceedings. The Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice is provided as an example. Digital Commons includes the editorial management software, EdiKit, which assists in managing submissions, editorial functions, and peer review. Also considered are changes to scholarly communication patterns arising out of the new open access, electronic only, publication regimes.     

Cultural Anthropology and Open Access—Interview With Dominic Boyer,Cymene Howe,and Marcel LaFlamme

Abstract

In this installment of “Conversations,” Dominic Boyer, Cymene Howe, and Marcel LaFlamme, of the Cultural Anthropology editorial team, discuss the ins and outs of publishing a gold open access journal in the field of anthropology. Highlights of the discussion include Cultural Anthropology’s move to open access, the ethics of open access, the growth of international readership, ongoing publishing challenges in open access, and the role libraries can play with open access publishing.     

Opening the Book

Open access book publishers often face different challenges than their counterparts in journal publishing. In particular, the funding models and discovery solutions that work for journal articles may not always function as well for books. Charles Watkinson of the University of Michigan Press answered questions about recent activities in these two areas. University of Michigan Press has participated in Knowledge Unlatched, a platform that allows a large network of libraries to financially support the open access publication of books from several publishers. In order to enhance discovery of these titles and learn more about their use, the press has also begun participating in the new Open Access eBooks on JSTOR program.     

Textbook Affordability in the Time of COVID-19

Abstract

This article provides a background of the textbook affordability problem affecting students attending United States higher education institutions, both prior to and during the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as potential solutions to the problem. Solutions discussed include the availability of open materials in online repositories, publisher responses like inclusive access, institutional incentive programs, and initiatives by library consortia or other statewide programs. The responses of various stakeholders to make textbooks accessible to students during the pandemic are also covered.     

Best Practices for Biostatistical Consultation and Collaboration in Academic Health Centers

Given the increasing level and scope of biostatistics expertise needed at academic health centers today, we developed best practices guidelines for biostatistics units to be more effective in providing biostatistical support to their institutions, and in fostering an environment in which unit members can thrive professionally. Our recommendations focus on the key areas of: (1) funding sources and mechanisms; (2) providing and prioritizing access to biostatistical resources; and (3) interacting with investigators. We recommend that the leadership of biostatistics units negotiate for sufficient long-term infrastructure support to ensure stability and continuity of funding for personnel, align project budgets closely with actual level of biostatistical effort, devise and consistently apply strategies for prioritizing and tracking effort on studies, and clearly stipulate with investigators prior to project initiation policies regarding funding, lead time, and authorship.     

中国国民经济核算的新发展和SNA修订的挑战

2004年经济普查之后,中国国内生产总值核算发生了若干方面变化,包括经济普查年度国内生产总值核算在资料来源、计算方法、生产范围、基本分类和某些具体问题处理方法等方面的修订,国内生产总值历史数据的修订,以及非经济普查年度国内生产总值核算方案的制定;在机构部门账户发生的若干方面变化,包括机构部门账户部门分类的细化和编制方法的修订;而1993年SNA的修订中国国民经济核算所面临的挑战,包括中央银行产出、非正规部门、政府与公共企业的交易--股权投资收益和资本注入等方面的修订对中国国民经济核算的挑战.     

Leaning into Browser Extensions

abstract

An array of browser extensions has been developed to help researchers locate full-text content, whether that full text is available in an institutional repository, on a publishers site, or in an open access journal. Examples of such browser extensions include Unpaywall, Kopernio, EZproxy tools, and Lean Library. This Balance Point column focuses on the growth of browser extensions, the need they are filling, and their adoption by libraries. Particular attention is paid to the Lean Library browser extension and the services offered by Lean Library. Drawing on the literature and interviews with librarians in the field, the advantages and disadvantages of browser extensions are addressed, as well as security concerns.     

The Potential Impact of ‘Public Access’ Legislation on Access to Forestry Literature

There have been increasing calls for the United States (U.S.) government’s implementation of broad public access policies mandating free online access to federally funded research. This study examines the potential impact of such a policy on peer-reviewed forestry literature. The authors analyze information about federal government authorship, federal government funding, and U.S. authorship indicated in articles published in five core forestry journals in 2006. The results of the analysis provide evidence that federal public access legislation would have a significant impact on the accessibility of forestry literature published in leading journals in the field.     

The Potential Impact of ‘Public Access’ Legislation on Access to Forestry Literature

There have been increasing calls for the United States (U.S.) government’s implementation of broad public access policies mandating free online access to federally funded research. This study examines the potential impact of such a policy on peer-reviewed forestry literature. The authors analyze information about federal government authorship, federal government funding, and U.S. authorship indicated in articles published in five core forestry journals in 2006. The results of the analysis provide evidence that federal public access legislation would have a significant impact on the accessibility of forestry literature published in leading journals in the field.     

Preserving Open Access

Abstract

Libraries have an established track record of preserving the scholarly record, but this stewardship role has generally been exercised over materials the library has purchased or otherwise acquired. With open access publishing, the library’s role in preservation is less certain, as libraries may facilitate access to a wide array of freely accessible materials without ever obtaining any copies. Additionally, the open access landscape includes many small noncommercial publishers with limited resources that may not be able to invest in long term preservation and access. In this column, Courtney McAllister, Electronic Resources Librarian at Lillian Goldman Law Library, Yale University, discusses preservation concerns and strategies for open access publications and how libraries may be affected by unstable or unpredictable long-term access.     

Bibliometric Network Analysis and Visualization for Serials Librarians: An Introduction to Sci2

ABSTRACT

Bibliometric data have the potential to inform collection development, describe institutional scholarship strengths and citation patterns, and suggest potential areas of research collaboration. This article introduces methods of using data from citation databases to generate bibliometric analyses of journal titles, subject matter, and coauthorship networks using the open software tool Science of Science (Sci2). These analyses can be used to enhance responsive institutional and network collecting and to connect users to additional research and publication partners.