Pinfield, Stephen
(2011)
Towards open access: managerial, technical, economic and cultural aspects of improving access to research outputs from the perspective of a library and information services provider in a research university.
PhD thesis, University of Nottingham.
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Abstract
For academic research to release its value, it has to be communicated. It is essential, if research is to flourish, that the various forms of research communication, including journal articles and similar research outputs, are as easily and widely available as possible. The publications in this submission, produced between 1998 and 2010, all discuss major aspects (managerial, technical, economic and cultural) of improving access to research outputs in order to support research activity in higher education institutions. The later works focus in particular on the issue of ‘open access’ (OA) publishing and dissemination.
The publications investigate the why and how of OA. Firstly, they examine the potential benefits (and dis-benefits) of OA for the research community and other stakeholders. Secondly, they discuss how OA systems and services might operate in practice. The earlier works on OA focus on repositories, particularly institutional repositories. Some of the later publications bring into consideration OA journals and their (potential) ongoing relationship with repositories.
The publications are written from the perspective of a library and information services provider in a research university. They report on ground-breaking action-based research-and-development work: setting up innovative demonstrator systems, developing new business processes, and designing novel organisational policies. Possible future scenarios are modelled and analysed. It is shown that these activities have made a significant impact on wider professional practice, as well as contributing to the research literature, as OA has became more mainstream.
Major themes discussed include managerial challenges associated with implementing OA services; technical issues relating to the development of systems and standards; economic factors covering costs, funding streams and business models; and cultural issues, including disciplinary differences. These are examined in relation to different stakeholder groups at institutional, national and system-wide levels. Other key themes include intellectual property rights and quality assurance. A clearer picture of possible research-communication futures incorporating OA is developed.
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