Open access topic
Grad students discuss open access to scholarly research in collaboration with UD Library
2:40 p.m., Nov. 12, 2015--Representatives of University of Delaware graduate programs from across the academic disciplines gathered at the Morris Library on Oct. 22 to learn about critical issues facing equal access to scholarly knowledge.
As part of international Open Access Week, observed Oct. 19-23, the University’s Graduate Student Government partnered with the University of Delaware Library to host guest speaker Nick Shockey, director of programs and engagement at the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) and director of the Right to Research Coalition.
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Shockey discussed providing free and open access to the fruits of scholarly research and urged students and young scholars to do what they can to democratize access to information.
Open Access is an important discussion topic in academic and publishing circles as libraries and other scholarly institutions struggle to keep up with rising academic journal database costs. Shockey’s presentation, titled “Tearing Down the Paywall: Opening Access to Academic Research,” exposed students to the expenses incurred by universities to provide access to subscription-based scholarly resources and strategies the academic community can use to provide easy and free public access to research.
The University has taken a leadership role in promoting Open Access. On April 6, 2015, the Faculty Senate unanimously passed a resolution designating the UD Library’s UDSpace as the institutional repository for faculty publications, making them freely available to the public. The senate resolution is available here.
To learn more about Open Access, visit the website. More information on SPARC is available here.
Photos by Doug Baker