Open monographs: Benefits and Challenges
UKRI Open Access Policy
“This policy applies to publications which need to acknowledge funding from UKRI or any of its councils. This includes funding from:
It aims to ensure that findings from research funded by the public through UKRI can be freely accessed, used and built on.
The policy applies to:
Why monographs?
Prestige
Expectations
Career-development
Main “impact” in arts and humanities
Open monographs �from 2019
Main benefits of open monographs
REACH A GLOBAL AUDIENCE
CONTRIBUTE TO GOALS OF KNOWLEDGE EQUITY
OPEN EDUCATION
HIGHER DOWNLOAD AND CITATION RATE
Main challenges of open monographs
Some things to consider…
From the OR case studies
Do you have open access publications?
“I tend to look at long-term projects and devote more energy to a larger outputs, which normally would be published as monographs. I don’t have that many journal articles that would qualify for open access. The monographs also have lots of images in them, which are subject to copyright.” – Cost of reproducing images
How will you disseminate this project?
“There is definitely going to be a monograph and open access articles. I have been thinking of writing publications that more publicly available, and not just scholarly. Another output that will happen as a result of my research project is that a blue plaque is going to be erected to one of the figures I have been working on.” - OA articles but not OA monographs
Conclusion
Open access monographs pose a challenge to academics, publishers, universities, and funding bodies
They are important and a “way to go” in the future
But there needs to be a clear and good infrastructure before it is mandated and Arts and Humanities need more help (particularly now, with the slashing of A+Hum. Departments…)