Articles tagged with: Open Access

  • Applications now being accepted to the Library Open Access Publishing Fund

    Wednesday, June 01, 2022 | By

    Open Access Benefits

    The Library Open Access Publishing Fund, which assists Brock researchers who wish to publish in a journal which levies article processing charges, is now taking applications for the 2022-23 budget year 

    As always, the fund operates on a first-come, first-served basis and applicants must meet the fund’s eligibility criteria. 

    This year’s criteria have been updated to help ensure the limited grant funding available will have maximum impact and effectiveness: 

    • Researchers who received a grant in 2021-22 may only apply for a 2022-23 grant after January 2023  
    • This grant is intended to support researchers with limited or no funding. Recipients of grants from funders such as the Tri-Agencies or other agencies are not eligible to apply 

    The Library provides other supports to help researchers make their work openly accessible for low or no cost: 

    • Researchers can make their scholarly articles open access – for free – by depositing a copy in the Brock Digital Repository, an online archive of Brock research which can be freely accessed by anyone. Authors can submit papers themselves or use the Library’s supported-deposit process. 
    • The Library has negotiated open access agreements and discounts with a growing number of publishers which allow Brock authors to publish in their journals for free, or at significantly lowered costs. 
    • And finally, researchers can search the Directory of Open Access Journals to select one of more than 12,000 scholarly, peer-reviewed open access journals which do not charge article processing fees. 

    As a reminder, the Brock University Open Access Policy stipulates that Brock authors are expected to make their research articles openly accessible by depositing copies in the Brock Digital Repository.  

    Questions? Contact Research and Scholarly Communication Librarian Elizabeth Yates ~ eyates@brocku.ca 

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  • Open Access Publishing Fund update

    Monday, January 10, 2022 | By

    Open Access Benefits

    While the Library Open Access Publishing Fund is fully expended for the 2021-22 budget year, the Library continues to support Brock authors in making their research openly accessible – in many cases, at low or no cost.

    Researchers can make their scholarly articles open access – for free – by depositing a copy in the Brock Digital Repository, an online archive of Brock research which can be freely accessed by anyone. Authors can submit papers themselves or use the Library’s supported-deposit process.

    The Library has negotiated open access agreements and discounts with a growing number of publishers which allow Brock authors to publish in their journals for free, or at significantly lowered costs.

    And finally, researchers can search the Directory of Open Access Journals to select one of more than 12,000 scholarly, peer-reviewed open access journals which do not charge article processing fees.

    Questions? Contact Liaison and Scholarly Communication Librarian Elizabeth Yates ~ eyates@brocku.ca

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  • International Open Access Week at Brock

    Monday, October 18, 2021 | By

    Open Access Week graphic with the text "it matters how we open access: building structural equity"

    The Brock University Library will join in the global celebrations of International Open Access Week with two workshops highlighting how researchers can maximize the impact of their scholarship.

    • Oct. 26, 12-1 p.m. – Opening up graduate scholarship via the Brock Digital Repository, with Tim Ribaric, Acting Head of the Brock Digital Scholarship Lab and Map, Data and GIS Library, and Elizabeth Yates, Liaison and Scholarly Communication Librarian. This workshop will explore the process of showcasing graduate research via the Brock Digital Repository and highlight key considerations around publishing, copyright and embargoes. Register here.
    • Oct. 28, 12-1 p.m. – Maximizing Access and Impact: Support for Open Access Publishing at Brock, with Cal Murgu, Instructional Design Librarian, and Elizabeth Yates, Liaison and Scholarly Communication Librarian. This workshop will explore the benefits of open access publishing and highlight financial support available via the Library Open Access Publishing Fund and funding memberships with major publishers. Register here.

    Open Access refers to free, immediate online access to research. The theme of International Open Access Week is: It Matters How We Open Knowledge: Building Structural Equity. This theme aligns with the recent UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science, which centres the need to “embrace a diversity of knowledge, practices, workflows, languages, research outputs and research topics”.  Open science, and open access publishing, can advance structural equity by ensuring equitable sharing of research outputs from scholars in both developed and developing nations.

    The Library strives to advance equitable open access practices by providing infrastructure to disseminate Brock’s research outputs via the Brock Digital Repository and Scholarly Journals at Brock, through education and advocacy, and by making financial investments to support a variety of open access platforms and projects.

    “During Open Access Week, we invite everyone in the Brock community to reflect on how they can break down barriers in how knowledge is created and shared,” says Elizabeth Yates, Liaison and Scholarly Communication Librarian. “And we hope that these workshops will spur conversations and actions which can help all of us advance equity – both individually and in our academic systems and communities.”

    More Open Access Week events from around the world can be found here.

     

     

     

     

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  • Agreement with SAGE gives Brock authors more options for publishing Open Access

    Tuesday, March 02, 2021 | By

    Logos of Sage Open Access publishing, CRKN & Brock University

    Brock Library is pleased to share that The Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN) and SAGE Publications have signed a transformative agreement that will give Brock authors increased support for Open Access publishing. 

    As of January 1, 2021, Brock-affiliated authors may now publish Open Access with no Article Processing Charges (APCs) in over 900 SAGE Choice journals. Brock authors will also receive a 40% discount on APCs in SAGE’s Gold Open Access Journals. More information for authors is available here. 

    Much of academic publishing output is behind paywalls that limit who can access and learn from this research. Transformative agreements are an emerging vehicle to shift scholarly publishing towards Open Access and broader availability of this research. These agreements transform libraries’ existing subscriptions to publishers’ journals so that they include not just access to articles, but also cover affiliated authors’ APCs. This is CRKN and Brock’s first transformative agreement. 

    Questions? Read more about Library support for Open Access publishing, or email Evelyn Feldman, Collections/Liaison Librarian, at efeldman@brocku.ca.  

     

     

     

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  • Celebrating Open Access Week and Brock’s new Open Access Policy

    Thursday, October 01, 2020 | By

    Open Access Policy Presentation - October 20. ExperienceBU

    October 19-25 is the thirteenth International Open Access Week, an event for the research community around the world to spread awareness of the benefits of Open Access.

    Join in at Brock by attending a presentation on Tuesday, October 20 at 1pm, which will introduce the Open Access movement broadly, delve into how it works in journal publishing, and finish by tying this all together with Brock’s new Open Access Policy.

    The policy, recently adopted by Senate, calls for Brock researchers and scholars to deposit an electronic copy of their academic journal articles into the Brock University Digital Repository, an online collection of scholarly output produced by the Brock community and managed by the Library.

    Researchers can submit work themselves to the repository or use a Library service called Support for Sharing Your Work – complete a form, attach your articles and Library staff will deposit them on your behalf.

    More information about the open access policy, including answers to frequently asked questions and an opt-out form, can be found on the policy webpage.

    For event details and connection information, please visit ExperienceBU. For more information, please contact your Liaison Librarian.

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  • Library supports Brock’s new Open Access Policy

    Thursday, June 18, 2020 | By

    With Brock becoming the 12th university in Canada to adopt an Open Access Policy, the Library is here to support researchers in making their work openly accessible. 

    The policy, recently adopted by Senate, calls for Brock researchers and scholars to deposit an electronic copy of their academic journal articles into the Brock University Digital Repository, an online collection of scholarly output produced by the Brock community and managed by the Library. 

    Researchers can submit work themselves to the repository or use a Library service called Support for Sharing Your Work – complete a form, attach your articles and Library staff will deposit them on your behalf. 

    More information about the open access policy, including answers to frequently asked questions and an opt-out form, can be found on the policy webpage. 

    For more information, contact Liaison and Scholarly Communication Librarian Elizabeth Yates – eyates@brocku.ca or your Liaison Librarian 

     

     

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  • Library supports Brock researchers publishing in Frontiers journals 

    Tuesday, October 08, 2019 | By

    Brock University Library has signed an institutional agreement that provides a 50% discount on article processing charges for Brock researchers who choose to publish with Frontiers, a major international publisher of peer-reviewed open access journals. 

    This discount is the latest demonstration of the Library’s strong commitment to investing in open access resources, reflecting its mission to enhance access to information and accelerate knowledge production. Recognizing that some Brock authors choose to publish in open access journals which charge APCs, these investments include: 

    The library also provides financial support to several open platforms such as the Directory of Open Access Journals and partnering with Scholars Portal to offer Open Journal Systems to our users for free. In addition to advancing free, immediate access to scholarly resources for all, the Library thus signals the importance of open scholarship to the Brock community and is pursuing a longer-term goal of reforming a dysfunctional scholarly publishing system.    

    Brock authors may claim the Frontiers APC discount during the article submission process by selecting ‘Brock University’ as institutional payer in the invoice section of the process. Frontiers will then verify authors’ eligibility with Brock University Library, and if confirmed, 50% of the APC will be paid by the Library upon acceptance. Researchers will receive an invoice from Frontiers for the remaining 50% of the article processing charge.  

    Questions? Contact Scholarly Communication Librarian Elizabeth Yates ~ eyates@brocku.ca 

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  • Brock University Award for Open Access

    Tuesday, September 10, 2019 | By

    Nominations are now open for the Brock University Award for Open Access which will recognize a member of the Brock community who is a champion of open access. Relevant qualifications could include a demonstrated record ofopenly sharing research, participating in projects or platforms advancing open access, or conducting research into open access.

    The award includes a grant of $2,500 which may be used either:

    1. to pay an article-processing charge for an open-access journal, or
    2. as a donation to support a non-profit open scholarship platform.

    Applications/nominations are due Sept. 27, 12:00 p.m. Entries will be judged by a panel including Library employees and past Open Access Award winners. The winner will be announced during an Oct. 21 event celebrating International Open Access Week.

    Questions? Contact Elizabeth Yates, Liaison and Scholarly Communication Librarian ~ eyates@brocku.ca ~ x4469

     

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  • A Day in the Life of a DSL Intern: Collaboration, Open Access and Quentin Tarantino

    Friday, February 08, 2019 | By

    Erin - DSL Intern in front of Computer showing data visualizations

    Hello again, dear readers!

    I don’t know about you, but I love being busy. Don’t get me wrong, vacations are nice and there’s nothing like the feeling of taking it easy after finishing a big project or writing a monster essay, but I like to always have something to work on, and I’m always willing to take on new projects and tasks to prevent lulls in my day. Because of this, Brock has been a great place for me to work because there’s always a project to work on, a program/technology to learn, or a person to contact in the hopes of collaboration. Speaking of which, collaboration was the theme of the DSL’s podcast this week (listen here if you haven’t yet!), and as I participated in the group’s conversation about working with others and taking advantage of their knowledge to better your own, I started to think about all of the collaborating I’ve done in the last few weeks and how much I’ve been able to learn and grow through collaborative work.

    One of the first new projects I took on recently was learning how to use Open Journal Systems – an open access journal management and publishing system. As a (future) librarian, open access is a cause that’s very near and dear to my heart, and I know this is true for the DSL as well. As members of a public research institution, Brock students have access to all kinds of databases and programs to conduct research and complete assignments. What students often don’t realize is that these databases and programs can be very expensive to purchase and maintain, meaning people outside of Brock and other research institutions typically don’t have access to the same resources they do. This is why open access is so important – it combines the sophisticated and respected technologies, databases, and journals needed to conduct and report important research while still being accessible to everyone regardless of their academic affiliations (or lack thereof). Brock’s undergraduate history department publishes The General through OJS and whenever new student editors are hired, they need to be taught how to request revisions and approve articles for publishing – that’s where I come in!

    Collaborating with these members of the undergraduate history department to teach them how to use an open access software was a great learning experience. They learned how to use a system that will allow their journal to be accessible to everyone (a very cool opportunity for undergrad students – I had to do my best to hide my envy), and I learned how to effectively break down a new and foreign system into easy, teachable steps. I think this process will definitely come in handy when I start running some DSL workshops!

    Speaking of running workshops, I mentioned in my previous entry that I’ve been doing a lot of work with visualizing data in PowerBI so that I can teach a workshop on this particular program. Last week, I got my first collaborative visualization opportunity in the form of a dataset about a hockey tournament from Brock’s Centre for Sport Capacity. I won’t go into too much detail about this super-secret mission (known around the DSL as “Operation Hoops”), but I’ve really enjoyed working with the other people in this project to visualize their data in a user-friendly way through PowerBI. I’ve also been attending all of the workshops offered by the DSL and learning a lot. Since my last entry, I’ve learned the basics of the Command Line Interface, the Python programming language, and ArcGIS pro – a program that allows users to map data to help answer questions. I didn’t know a lot about programming languages going into these workshops, but I had a ton of fun learning. It all became clearer to me when I learned how to use Command Line to show how many times each of the main characters in Little Women are mentioned throughout the book. I thought this was a really cool way to show how the technology is applicable to the humanities, and I couldn’t help but be reminded of the data from the Agatha Christie study I mentioned in my previous entry. These workshops have given me more insight into what digital scholarship truly is – the opportunity to “collaborate” with technology in order to make some really interesting discoveries. In just over a month at Brock, I’ve been lucky enough to explore some pretty cool technologies, and collaborate with some pretty cool people.

    In my university experience, I’ve participated in more group projects than I can count. One of my grad school professors liked to encourage as much group work as possible, insisting that group projects are good practice for the real world. Now, as a (temporary) member of the real world, I can confirm that this is true. The only difference is that in the real world, they’re called working groups. There are lots of working groups here at Brock, all of them working towards various initiatives to ensure that every student has the best library experience possible. As part of my placement, I’ve been involved with a working group whose goal is to improve Brock’s institutional repository. There’s a lot of amazing research being done at Brock, and it is essential for researchers to be able to publish their findings to a reliable, user friendly platform. Meeting with the other members of this group felt a lot like a group project at school – goals and best approaches were discussed, the work load was divvied up, and roles were assigned. My role was to reach out to librarians at other schools to get a sense of how their repository platforms perform and how their users interact with it. Interviewing complete strangers over the phone was a new (and I’ll admit, slightly nerve wracking) experience for me. The last (and first ever) phone interview I did was when I interviewed for this placement four months ago. But, as with any group project, I did my part and I learned along the way. I’m officially two for two on phone interviews! Our work is far from over, but I can say that participating in this working group has been a great exercise in collaboration so far, because I’ve learned how to collaborate effectively with people both inside and outside of my workplace in order to achieve a goal.

    I know that by this point you’re probably thinking, “gosh Erin, it sounds like all you do is work super hard! Don’t you have any fun at Brock?”, and to that I say of course! The work I do requires a lot of data analysis, so a big part of my job involves finding data to work with. Since my last entry, I’ve played around with data about the contestants on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette (who wins, who goes home, who gets the coveted first impression rose) and The Avengers (names, aliases, how many times they’ve died and come back to life). My favourite dataset to work with though was one that kept track of every curse word and death in each of seven Quentin Tarantino films – and how long into the movie these curse words and deaths occur. His movies are a little gratuitous for my taste, but even I have to admit that there’s something very amusing about constructing a graph full of curse words. It was a learning experience as well, as I can definitively answer which of his films is the most profane (Pulp Fiction, with a whopping 469 curse words) and which was the most graphic (Kill Bill: Vol. 1, with 63 on-screen deaths). Who says data can’t be fun?

    My blog series is posted bi-weekly, so be sure to check back on February 22nd for more on my internship journey!

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  • Business graduate student wins Brock Library OpenCon Scholarship

    Friday, October 26, 2018 | By

    The chance to hear from a compelling advocate for open educational resources has propelled graduate student Fares Belkhiria into using and advocating for OER in his own teaching and research.

    Belkhiria, a second-year student at Goodman School of Business for Master of Science in Management, attended last December’s Library-CPI presentation featuring Rajiv Jhangiani, one of Canada’s leading advocates for greater access and affordability of teaching and learning materials. The event piqued Belkhiria’s interest in OER  and he continues to correspond with Jhangiani about these issues. His enthusiasm and record of involvement with “open” made Belkhiria’s application for the Brock University Library OpenCon Scholarship a stand out.

    Belkhiria, who also works as a graduate teaching assistant and guest lecturer within Goodman’s MBA International Program, will attend OpenCon – an international conference focusing on open education, open access and open data – in Toronto Nov. 2-4.

    The Library offers this scholarship to support professional development for Brock graduate students and to reflect its commitment to transforming the mechanisms of scholarly communication.

     

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