By Bella Brooks<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Have you ever been writing a paper and found the perfect source, only to\nbe denied access? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In an event hosted by UVM\u2019s Gund Institute for the Environment, Assistant\nProfessor Meredith Niles explored how open access works, its implications for\naccelerating academic progress, its intersection with social justice, and its\nrole in the process of publishing research. Although her lecture focused on\nscientific research, understanding open access is critical and cross-cutting\nfor all researchers and readers of research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imagine you\u2019re in the research process. You\u2019ve got a great idea, secured\nfunding, conducted your research, and have results. After writing a manuscript,\nyou submit it for publication (more on that later) and it\u2019s been approved!\nNext, your manuscript is sent out to be reviewed by your peers in your field of\nresearch, they\u2019ve reviewed and edited your work, and the journal you submitted\nyour manuscript to agrees to publication. Once the journal you submitted to\nagrees to publication, you agree to copyright: no one else gets to publish your\nwork, as its now owned by the journal. This is where the process gets a little\ntricky. Upon publication, your work is sold back to libraries and institutions\nthat provide access to members who read your work, non-members find your work\nsomewhere for free to read, or simply don\u2019t read it at all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Niles specifically focused on how publicly<\/em>\nfunded research is being turned over to for-profit\njournals<\/em> that then sell us our own\nwork back<\/em>, where only certain people have access to it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Niles argued that people publish their research and results not for\npayment, but for public good, inquiry, knowledge, and academic connections.\nJournals buying and selling back research obstructs this process. On the accent\ngradient, the gold standard is free and immediate online access; however, most\nresearch is blocked by paywalls and subscriptions. Having to purchase access to\nresearch severely limits one\u2019s audience. When only people who can afford to\npurchase subscriptions or have institutions granting them access (i.e.: college\nstudents), a majority of the population is excluded and denied access. When\naccessing the work of others, keep the concept of open access in mind, and when\npublishing your own work consider who will and will not have access to your\nresearch and be mindful of who you\u2019re giving the copyrights of your work to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Resources for Students\nAccessing and Publishing Research<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n is a great resource to consult before submitting to\njournals. Sherpa helps you find publishers’ archiving policies and\ncopyright contracts. Sherpa also provides: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Worldwide Directory of Open Access Repositories<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Guide to Self-Archiving<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n List of Publishers’ Archiving and Copyright Policies<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n