A leader in open access policy, Brock is the only university showcased as part of the Information and Privacy Commission of Ontario\u2019s (IPC) Transparency Challenge.<\/p>\n
Launched May 11, the IPC Transparency Showcase is a virtual exhibit of 17 innovative and impactful transparency projects by Ontario\u2019s public institutions that improve government transparency or use open data to improve the lives of Ontarians.<\/p>\n
IPC Transparency Showcase website<\/a> describes Brock\u2019s Open Access Policy<\/a> as an example of how organizations can promote transparency by making research more accessible.<\/p>\n Open access at Brock is understood \u201cas ensuring research outputs are made available openly to anyone with an internet connection,\u201d says Elizabeth Yates, Research and Scholarly Communication Librarian with the James A. Gibson Library.<\/p>\n Traditionally, the bulk of scholarly research has been published in journals that can often only be accessed through a subscription. However, since Brock\u2019s Open Access Policy was approved by Senate in 2020<\/a>, University leadership and the Library have devoted resources and staffing to make research produced at Brock available to anyone.<\/p>\n \u201cBrock is one of about a dozen post-secondary institutions in Canada to prioritize open access policy,\u201d says Yates. \u201cOur open access policy means Ontarians can learn about new topics or take a deeper dive into subjects they\u2019re already familiar with. Further, research results which are made open access can be incorporated into programming, policies, health-care procedures, legislation and other areas which can impact the daily lives of Canadians.\u201d<\/p>\n Brock\u2019s Archives and Special Collections also received acknowledgement from the IPC under the Notable Submissions category for its publicly available, diverse collection of archival material assembled over more than 50 years.<\/p>\n \u201cBrock welcomed the opportunity to respond to the IPC\u2019s call for public institutions to share innovative projects that use open data to improve the lives of Ontarians,\u201d says Nicole Nolan, Interim University Librarian. \u201cWe are pleased that both of Brock\u2019s submissions received public recognition.\u201d<\/p>\n There are several different ways for researchers to make their findings available through open access. More information can be found on the Brock Library Open Access web page<\/a> along with additional information on supports and strategies<\/a>.<\/p>\n