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A special issue of Publications (ISSN 2304-6775).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2018) | Viewed by 82048

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Anja Oberländer

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Guest Editor

Head of Open Access at the University of Konstanz, Universitaetsstrasse 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany

Dr. Torsten Reimer

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Guest Editor

Head of Research Services at the British Library, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB, UK
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Once a grassroots movement, Open Access (OA) is now making its way to the heart of university libraries and research organisations more broadly. Within a research institution, libraries are usually the facilitators of the transition to OA and, in some cases, they are the driving force behind this change. This process is also changing the role of libraries. Historically, library expertise lay in procuring content (both electronic and print) and negotiating access for students and researchers. Now libraries are asked to lead on the development and implementation of new OA services, including operation of repositories, setting up university presses and supporting OA journals. Many libraries also administrate OA publication funds. Building on their understanding of scholarly practices and information needs across disciplines libraries are now working to create successful OA implementation strategies by cooperating closely with university leadership, research offices and other research administrators, and by engaging closely with researchers from across the institution.

This results in a shift of focus from procuring scholarly content to becoming a more active partner in creation and dissemination. It also marks the start of what may well become a shift away from subscription budgets to OA publication budgets, with all the changes that brings for the structure of libraries and the roles of staff. Through this Special Issue, we want to explore the changing role of research and university libraries in the context of Open Access.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

The changing role of university/research libraries
Best practice examples of successful OA implementations
Management of OA publication funds
OA workflows and systems
Communications and engagement with authors
Change management related to OA
New staff roles, skills and training

We welcome a variety of submissions, including, but not limited to, thought pieces, theoretical discussions, research reports with empirical data, or reviews of relevant literature that lead to new insights for the field.

All submissions will undergo the journal’s regular peer review and standard editorial procedures, using double-blind review. Please remove all reference to the author/s of the submission in the text and reference list. We look forward to your contributions and remain open to any questions you may have.

Dr. Anja Oberländer
Dr. Torsten Reimer
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Publications is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review, Other

2 pages, 149 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Open Access and the Library

by Anja Oberländer and Torsten Reimer

Publications 2019, 7(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications7010003 - 9 Jan 2019

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4199

Abstract

Libraries are places of learning and knowledge creation [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Open Access and the Library)

Research

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12 pages, 214 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Open Access in Vocational Education and Training Research

by Karin Langenkamp, Bodo Rödel, Kerstin Taufenbach and Meike Weiland

Publications 2018, 6(3), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6030029 - 5 Jul 2018

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5793

Abstract

The article presents a research project at the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training in Germany and reflects the perspective of researchers in the field of vocational education and training (VET). It investigates the technical and structural, policy-related, and normative and inherent academic research conditions exerting an influence on the acceptance, dissemination, and use of Open Access (OA). The research project focuses on the German-speaking countries. VET research represents an interlinking of various related academic research areas, rather than comprising a stand-alone discipline. Therefore, the assumption must be that the results of the project will be at least partially transferable to other fields within the social sciences and the humanities and will thus contribute towards findings with regard to OA across the whole of the latter domain. The background to the project is underpinned by science communication and by media theory. The empirical basis of the study has its foundations in a Sequential Mixed Method Design with a qualitative strand, followed by a quantitative strand. The qualitative exploration via focus groups will lead to hypotheses for the online survey. The online survey will be aimed at academic researchers from various disciplines who share common ground in that they address topics that are related to VET research. The realisation of the research project is planned for 2018–2020. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Open Access and the Library)

17 pages, 8675 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Enhancing Institutional Publication Data Using Emergent Open Science Services

by David Walters and Christopher Daley

Publications 2018, 6(2), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6020023 - 16 May 2018

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 8854

Abstract

The UK open access (OA) policy landscape simultaneously preferences Gold publishing models (Finch Report, RCUK, COAF) and Green OA through repository usage (HEFCE), creating the possibility of confusion and duplication of effort for academics and support staff. Alongside these policy developments, there has been an increase in open science services that aim to provide global data on OA. These services often exist separately to locally managed institutional systems for recording OA engagement and policy compliance. The aim of this study is to enhance Brunel University London’s local publication data using software which retrieves and processes information from the global open science services of Sherpa REF, CORE, and Unpaywall. The study draws on two classification schemes; a ‘best location’ hierarchy, which enables us to measure publishing trends and whether open access dissemination has taken place, and a relational ‘all locations’ dataset to examine whether individual publications appear across multiple OA dissemination models. Sherpa REF data is also used to indicate possible OA locations from serial policies. Our results find that there is an average of 4.767 permissible open access options available to the authors in our sample each time they publish and that Gold OA publications are replicated, on average, in 3 separate locations. A total of 40% of OA works in the sample are available in both Gold and Green locations. The study considers whether this tendency for duplication is a result of localised manual workflows which are necessarily focused on institutional compliance to meet the Research Excellence Framework 2021 requirements, and suggests that greater interoperability between OA systems and services would facilitate a more efficient transformation to open scholarship. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Open Access and the Library)

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15 pages, 350 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Data-Driven Transition: Joint Reporting of Subscription Expenditure and Publication Costs

by Irene Barbers, Nadja Kalinna and Bernhard Mittermaier

Publications 2018, 6(2), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6020019 - 23 Apr 2018

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 6876

Abstract

The transition process from the subscription model to the open access model in the world of scholarly publishing brings a variety of challenges to libraries. Within this evolving landscape, the present article takes a focus on budget control for both subscription and publication expenditure with the opportunity to enable the shift from one to the other. To reach informed decisions with a solid base of data to be used in negotiations with publishers, the diverse already-existing systems for managing publications costs and for managing journal subscriptions have to be adapted to allow comprehensive reporting on publication expenditure and subscription expenditure. In the case presented here, two separate systems are described and the establishment of joint reporting covering both these systems is introduced. Some of the results of joint reporting are presented as an example of how such a comprehensive monitoring can support management decisions and negotiations. On a larger scale, the establishment of the National Open Access Monitor in Germany is introduced, bringing together a diverse range of data from several already-existing systems, including, among others, holdings information, usage data, and data on publication fees. This system will enable libraries to access all relevant data with a single user interface. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Open Access and the Library)

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10 pages, 447 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Supporting Open Access at Kent—New Staff Roles

by Rosalyn Bass and Sarah Slowe

Publications 2018, 6(2), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6020017 - 17 Apr 2018

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5971

Abstract

Open Access has been supported at the University of Kent from an early stage with the establishment of the Kent Academic Repository in 2007. Initially, this work was accommodated within the existing library staff structure, but the pace of change, funder requirements, and a new university plan meant that support for Open Access needed to become explicit. Therefore, a research support team was established using a matrix working system¹. This article details this new structure and reflects on the benefits and challenges it brings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Open Access and the Library)

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10 pages, 1047 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Converting the Literature of a Scientific Field to Open Access through Global Collaboration: The Experience of SCOAP3 in Particle Physics

by Alexander Kohls and Salvatore Mele

Publications 2018, 6(2), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6020015 - 9 Apr 2018

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 10039

Abstract

Gigantic particle accelerators, incredibly complex detectors, an antimatter factory and the discovery of the Higgs boson—this is part of what makes CERN famous. Only a few know that CERN also hosts the world largest Open Access initiative: SCOAP3. The Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access Publishing in Particle Physics started operation in 2014 and has since supported the publication of 20,000 Open Access articles in the field of particle physics, at no direct cost, nor burden, for individual authors worldwide. SCOAP3 is made possible by a 3000-institute strong partnership, where libraries re-direct funds previously used for subscriptions to ‘flip’ articles to ‘Gold Open Access’. With its recent expansion, the initiative now covers about 90% of the journal literature of the field. This article describes the economic principles of SCOAP3, the collaborative approach of the partnership, and finally summarizes financial results after four years of successful operation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Open Access and the Library)

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Graphical abstract

8 pages, 3773 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Engaging and Supporting a University Press Scholarly Community

by Megan Taylor and Kathrine S. H. Jensen

Publications 2018, 6(2), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6020013 - 27 Mar 2018

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 6653

Abstract

In this paper we explore how the development of The University of Huddersfield Press, a publisher of open access scholarly journals and monographs, has enabled the sharing of research with a wider online audience. We situate the development of the Press within a wider research environment and growing community of New University Presses (NUPs) where there is an increasing demand for demonstrating research impact, which drives the need for improved analysis and reporting of impact data, a task that often falls within the remit of library and academic support services. We detail the benefits of the University Press Manager role in terms of ensuring professional service that delivers consistency and sustainability. We go on to outline the experiences of engaging with different online spaces and detail the extensive support for student authors. We argue that in order for the Press to support building a strong and engaged scholarly community and provide new spaces for emerging research, continued investment in both platform development and infrastructure is required. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Open Access and the Library)

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Review

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13 pages, 236 KiB

Open AccessReview

Opening the Heart of Science: A Review of the Changing Roles of Research Libraries

by Jorge Revez

Publications 2018, 6(1), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6010009 - 7 Mar 2018

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 7085

Abstract

In a world of information overload and data deluge, is opening science a research library’s duty? Or is the openness of science deeply changing libraries, ultimately converting them into something else? The purpose of the review is to highlight the challenging issues stemming from the relationship between research and libraries. A broad literature analysis was performed focused on the intersection of three different perspectives: (1) the future of research libraries, (2) the emerging new roles, and (3) the ongoing openness of science. Libraries are still at the heart of science but challenged by several stakeholders within the complexity of present science production and communication. Research support services, research data management, or research information management are emerging roles, among others, sustaining an open path where libraries thrive to be more collaborative while looking forward to establishing new partnerships. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Open Access and the Library)

Other

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19 pages, 272 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperCase Report

Open Science Support as a Portfolio of Services and Projects: From Awareness to Engagement

by Birgit Schmidt, Andrea Bertino, Daniel Beucke, Helene Brinken, Najko Jahn, Lisa Matthias, Julika Mimkes, Katharina Müller, Astrid Orth and Margo Bargheer

Publications 2018, 6(2), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6020027 - 19 Jun 2018

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 10127

Abstract

Together with many other universities worldwide, the University of Göttingen has aimed to unlock the full potential of networked digital scientific communication by strengthening open access as early as the late 1990s. Open science policies at the institutional level consequently followed and have been with us for over a decade. However, for several reasons, their adoption often is still far from complete when it comes to the practices of researchers or research groups. To improve this situation at our university, there is dedicated support at the infrastructural level: the university library collaborates with several campus units in developing and running services, activities and projects in support of open access and open science. This article outlines our main activity areas and aligns them with the overall rationale to reach higher uptake and acceptance of open science practice at the university. The mentioned examples of our activities highlight how we seek to advance open science along the needs and perspectives of diverse audiences and by running it as a multi-stakeholder endeavor. Therefore, our activities involve library colleagues with diverse backgrounds, faculty and early career researchers, research managers, as well as project and infrastructure staff. We conclude with a summary of achievements and challenges to be faced. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Open Access and the Library)

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15 pages, 728 KiB

Open AccessCase Report

Getting Scientists Ready for Open Access: The Approaches of Forschungszentrum Jülich

by Thomas Arndt and Claudia Frick

Publications 2018, 6(2), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6020024 - 25 May 2018

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 8868

Abstract

Many scientific institutions are faced with the question of how they should inform their scientists and scientific coordinators about the option of publishing open access. This task is one that libraries have taken upon themselves: libraries are familiar with the market participants and have years of experience in teaching information and publication literacy. This case report looks at two approaches taken by the Central Library of Forschungszentrum Jülich in 2017. It highlights the motivation, strategy, resources and implementation, as well as the first evaluation of both approaches. The first approach was a redesign of the training courses offered by the Central Library with a focus on the target groups and new contents. The second approach was implemented as part of International Open Access Week and involved offering an information event tailored to each scientific institute. The event was customized to meet the needs of the target group defined by each institute, the institute itself, and was organized individually. As a result of these efforts, the open access rate increased over the last few months and at 48% open access in 2017, Forschungszentrum Jülich is well on its way to achieving the open access goals set by the Helmholtz Association. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Open Access and the Library)

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10 pages, 465 KiB

Open AccessCase Report

Library-Mediated Deposit: A Gift to Researchers or a Curse on Open Access? Reflections from the Case of Surrey

by Christine Antiope Daoutis and Maria De Montserrat Rodriguez-Marquez

Publications 2018, 6(2), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6020020 - 23 Apr 2018

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5216

Abstract

The University of Surrey was one of the first universities to set up an open access repository. The Library was the natural stakeholder to lead this project. Over the years, the service has been influenced by external and internal factors, and consequently the Library’s role in developing the OA agenda has changed. Here, we present the development and implementation of a fully mediated open access service at Surrey. The mediated workflow was introduced following an operational review, to ensure higher compliance and engagement from researchers. The size and responsibilities of the open access team in the Library increased to comply with internal and external policies and to implement the fully mediated workflow. As a result, there has been a growth in deposit rates and overall compliance. We discuss the benefits and shortcomings of Library mediation; its effects on the relationship between the Library, senior management and researchers, and the increasing necessity for the Library to lead towards a culture of openness beyond policy compliance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Open Access and the Library)

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