Providing unrestricted access to scholarly, educational, and cultural resources
An open access (OA) strategy outlines an organization’s approach to providing unrestricted access to some or all of its scholarly, educational, and cultural resources. Open access promotes the free exchange of knowledge and fosters greater collaboration, equity, and innovation.
A move to OA requires a major shift in approach for any organization, large or small. For example, for publishers it involves not only a shift in revenue models: change will be needed in editorial, legal, marketing, metadata, production, rights, and related areas too.
Below is an outline of key components of an open access strategy:
1. Define Goals and Objectives
- Purpose: Clearly state why open access is important for the organization (e.g., fit with mission, wider dissemination of knowledge, inclusion and equity, supporting authors).
- Business Case: Even though the information will be freely available, it will not be free to create, disseminate, or manage over time. How will these activities be funded over time, and what revenue model or mix of models will you use?
- Targets: Define how you will measure success.
2. Prepare the Ground
- Develop or Evolve Policies: You will need to think about contracts and licenses, copyright management, editorial practices, and other policies with influence on (or influenced by) OA.
- Consult with Stakeholders: A shift to OA usually brings new stakeholders including funders, libraries, smaller publishers, and others. You’ll need to engage with each group and build or tap into ways to do so.
3. Infrastructure and Services
- Existing Partners: Your contracts with existing partners and service providers will need to evolve to reflect new OA policies and practices.
- New Partners: An array of new partners and services have emerged as OA practices have expanded, so there may be new relations to build or new options to consider.
4. Monitor and Evaluate
- Metrics: Track the impact of open access initiatives using metrics like author satisfaction, downloads, citations, inclusivity, and public engagement.
- Report: Stakeholders will be very interested in your experience, so report internally and externally. Gather feedback from stakeholders to refine the strategy.
- Regular Review: Periodically assess the strategy’s effectiveness and make adjustments as necessary.
An effective open access strategy involves more than meets the eye. It requires focus and flexibility to meet the evolving needs of stakeholders.
Find out more details about the services we offer and are how we can support your open access strategy development and evolution.
Working with Information Power
If you’d like to work with Information Power or want to discuss how we can support your organization, please do not hesitate to contact us below. We look forward to working with you.
Email: info@informationpower.co.uk
Phone: Monday – Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (GMT) on +44 (0)7305795887.
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