Inroads to Open Access Publishing

Dragan Gill, Reference Librarian, Associate Professor

Adams Library, Rhode Island College

What is Open Access Publishing?

Removing the price and permission barriers of proprietary publishing.

Why does it Matter?

With an average of a 32-35% profit margin, and near monopoly of the industry, proprietary journal publishers limit access, which:

• Contributes to a lack of replication,
• Privileges wealthier institutions and researchers in publication:
• 40% of authors submitting to the NEJM are based within 200 miles of Boston,
• Libraries cancel big subscriptions,
• Bars authors, who are unpaid for creating main product of the journals, from using their own content.

Open Access Myths and Facts

Free to use means low quality, not peer-reviewed.

Quality OA journals are peer reviewed.�Directory of Open Access Journals ��Society Publishers

​

Check before you publish.

Open Access Myths and Facts

OA journals are more likely to be predatory.

While the ease of digital publishing has increased predatory publishing, open journals are not necessarily more predatory.

DOAJ is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics.

Open Access Myths and Facts

Authors always have to pay the publication fees themselves.

Authors may request support for open publishing through grants* or funds.

​

​

​

*more on this later

Open Access Myths and Facts

Open publishing requires publishing in an open access journal.

Authors can negotiate to retain copyright and make articles freely available when publishing in a traditional journal. This is called Green/Passive Open Access publishing.

Green/Passive Open Access Publishing

�Most Passive�Use SHERPA/Romeo to check publisher policies for self-archiving.

​

More Active�Use the SPARC Author Addendum to your publisher contract to retain copyright and use.

​

Archive + index + share�RIC Institutional Repository

publishing in a proprietary journal�negotiating your publisher agreement

self-archiving

Gold Open Access Publishing

Departments should determine which open journals or repositories are appropriate for your field of study.

Start with�Directory of Open Access Journals

For more�Open Access & Scholarly Communication LibGuide

OA publishing fees may be covered through grant requests. Grants that require open publishing or data will provide guidance.

Try�GrantForward

More�Open Research Funders Group

publishing in an open access journal�immediate open access

Creative Commons

Gold OA is often enabled by using a Creative Commons license.�����Authors have four rights, which when used in combination create 6 main licenses, allowing authors to retain copyright and permit use of their works.

​

Pros and Cons of Green and Gold

Green OA Publishing

Pro:

• Publish in any journal.

Con:

• Potentially “double-dipping” payment. Publishing fees and subscription fees.

Gold OA Publishing

Pro:

• Immediately available to readers.

Con:

• Impact and recognition of OA is more complicated than traditional publications.

OA in Tenure & Promotion

Case Studies�Valuing OER in the Tenure, Promotion, and Reappointment Process�

Model evaluation language from UBC �Evidence of educational leadership is required for tenure/promotion in the Educational Leadership stream… It can include, but is not limited to…Contributions to the practice and theory of teaching and learning literature, including publications in peer-reviewed and professional journals, conference publications, book chapters, textbooks and open education repositories / resources.

​

Contact Information

Dragan Gill�Reference Librarian, Associate Professor�James P. Adams Library

dgill@ric.edu� 401-456-8145� Adams 412�

Learn more at: http://library.ric.edu/oa�and http://library.ric.edu/open