Open access is a publishing and distribution model that makes scholarly research literature—much of which [research] is funded by taxpayers around the world—freely available to the public online, without restrictions. —Open Society Foundation
March 23, 2023
Fondren Library’s support for open access (OA) aligns with Rice University’s mission and the Library’s commitment to “deepen the impact and visibility of Rice research.” Open access works often carry less restrictive copyright and licensing barriers than traditionally published works, for both users and creators. In addition to scholarly literature, a wide variety of scholarly and non-scholarly content can be made OA, including:
- Data
- Code
- Audio-visual material
- Creative works
- Images
Recognizing that each academic discipline has unique publishing needs and that OA is just one aspect of scholarly communication, Fondren Library supports OA in a number of ways, including, but not limited to:
- Allocating a portion of the library budget to support open initiatives, such as
- Open content (e.g., open access journals and monographs)
- Infrastructure (e.g., arXiv, DataCite)
- Software (e.g., DSpace, Open Journal Systems)
- Identifying and participating in opportunities to collaborate with and support organizations engaged in similar work
- Providing consultation and training on OA and related issues, including copyright and licensing
Why does Fondren support open access?
- Furthers equitable access to information
- Increases the reach and impact of Rice research to a global audience
- Meets the requirements of many governments and research funders
- Offers new and innovative funding models as an alternative to the traditional paywalled publishing model
Support for OA initiatives will not always reduce library costs. However, support for OA models ensures that money invested makes a widespread impact; any reader with an internet connection can access the work, not just those affiliated with Rice University.
This statement is intended to be regularly reviewed and updated.
- Cornell University Library, “Open Access Publishing : What is Open Access?”