Publications

2 pages, 158 KB

Open AccessEditorial

Editorial-Transitioning Publications to Open Peer Review

by Tony Ross-Hellauer

Publications 2018, 6(2), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6020028 - 21 Jun 2018

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 5629

Abstract

n/a Full article

19 pages, 272 KB

Open AccessFeature PaperCase Report

Open Science Support as a Portfolio of Services and Projects: From Awareness to Engagement

by Birgit Schmidt, Andrea Bertino, Daniel Beucke, Helene Brinken, Najko Jahn, Lisa Matthias, Julika Mimkes, Katharina Müller, Astrid Orth and Margo Bargheer

Publications 2018, 6(2), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6020027 - 19 Jun 2018

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 11004

Abstract

Together with many other universities worldwide, the University of Göttingen has aimed to unlock the full potential of networked digital scientific communication by strengthening open access as early as the late 1990s. Open science policies at the institutional level consequently followed and have [...] Read more.

Together with many other universities worldwide, the University of Göttingen has aimed to unlock the full potential of networked digital scientific communication by strengthening open access as early as the late 1990s. Open science policies at the institutional level consequently followed and have been with us for over a decade. However, for several reasons, their adoption often is still far from complete when it comes to the practices of researchers or research groups. To improve this situation at our university, there is dedicated support at the infrastructural level: the university library collaborates with several campus units in developing and running services, activities and projects in support of open access and open science. This article outlines our main activity areas and aligns them with the overall rationale to reach higher uptake and acceptance of open science practice at the university. The mentioned examples of our activities highlight how we seek to advance open science along the needs and perspectives of diverse audiences and by running it as a multi-stakeholder endeavor. Therefore, our activities involve library colleagues with diverse backgrounds, faculty and early career researchers, research managers, as well as project and infrastructure staff. We conclude with a summary of achievements and challenges to be faced. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Open Access and the Library)

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12 pages, 233 KB

Open AccessCase Report

A Case Study for a New Peer-Review Journal on Race and Ethnicity in American Higher Education

by Cristobal Salinas, Jr.

Publications 2018, 6(2), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6020026 - 4 Jun 2018

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 7519

Abstract

In this exploratory case study, the interests, attitudes, and opinions of participants of the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE) in American Higher Education are presented. This case study sought to understand how college and university administrators and faculty perceived the need [...] Read more.

In this exploratory case study, the interests, attitudes, and opinions of participants of the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE) in American Higher Education are presented. This case study sought to understand how college and university administrators and faculty perceived the need to create a peer-reviewed journal that aimed to support and create opportunities to publish research, policy, practices, and procedures within the context of race and ethnicity in American higher education. The findings of this study reflect that the vast majority of those surveyed (n = 605) and interviewed (n = 5) support, and are interested in, having a peer-reviewed journal that focuses on race and ethnicity in American higher education. Full article

14 pages, 1494 KB

Open AccessArticle

Publish in English or Perish in Portuguese: Struggles and Constraints on the Semiperiphery

by Olga Solovova, Joana Vieira Santos and Joaquim Veríssimo

Publications 2018, 6(2), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6020025 - 1 Jun 2018

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 10101

Abstract

This paper examines the choice between English lingua franca and Portuguese (a pluricentric language in research article publishing), a choice which presents both a challenge and an opportunity to authors operating within the semiperipheral space of Portuguese research communities. Data on articles from [...] Read more.

This paper examines the choice between English lingua franca and Portuguese (a pluricentric language in research article publishing), a choice which presents both a challenge and an opportunity to authors operating within the semiperipheral space of Portuguese research communities. Data on articles from three disciplinary areas: Linguistics, Information Science and Library Science, and Pharmacology and Pharmacy, written in Portuguese and English, have been retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) covering a 20-year period (1998–2017). Figures show a rise in publications in the second decade (2008–2017) in both languages: the number of English papers is higher throughout, but the rise in the number of Portuguese papers is steeper over these latter years. Given the disparity in the number of Portuguese and English-language WoS-indexed journals, the rise in English is probably not due to individual authorial choices, but to the lack of indexed journals in Portuguese, as well as to the constraints of the publishing market. Language choice is embedded in symbolic places of knowledge construction—in the processes of voicing research claims, in the multilayered historical processes within disciplinary communities of practice, and in the marketization of research publishing. These issues may shape future ways of disseminating knowledge in a publishing arena that will continue to be globalized, though perhaps not so monolingual. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Writing and Publishing Scientific Research Papers in English)

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15 pages, 728 KB

Open AccessCase Report

Getting Scientists Ready for Open Access: The Approaches of Forschungszentrum Jülich

by Thomas Arndt and Claudia Frick

Publications 2018, 6(2), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6020024 - 25 May 2018

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 9576

Abstract

Many scientific institutions are faced with the question of how they should inform their scientists and scientific coordinators about the option of publishing open access. This task is one that libraries have taken upon themselves: libraries are familiar with the market participants and [...] Read more.

Many scientific institutions are faced with the question of how they should inform their scientists and scientific coordinators about the option of publishing open access. This task is one that libraries have taken upon themselves: libraries are familiar with the market participants and have years of experience in teaching information and publication literacy. This case report looks at two approaches taken by the Central Library of Forschungszentrum Jülich in 2017. It highlights the motivation, strategy, resources and implementation, as well as the first evaluation of both approaches. The first approach was a redesign of the training courses offered by the Central Library with a focus on the target groups and new contents. The second approach was implemented as part of International Open Access Week and involved offering an information event tailored to each scientific institute. The event was customized to meet the needs of the target group defined by each institute, the institute itself, and was organized individually. As a result of these efforts, the open access rate increased over the last few months and at 48% open access in 2017, Forschungszentrum Jülich is well on its way to achieving the open access goals set by the Helmholtz Association. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Open Access and the Library)

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17 pages, 8675 KB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Enhancing Institutional Publication Data Using Emergent Open Science Services

by David Walters and Christopher Daley

Publications 2018, 6(2), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6020023 - 16 May 2018

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 9672

Abstract

The UK open access (OA) policy landscape simultaneously preferences Gold publishing models (Finch Report, RCUK, COAF) and Green OA through repository usage (HEFCE), creating the possibility of confusion and duplication of effort for academics and support staff. Alongside these policy developments, there has [...] Read more.

The UK open access (OA) policy landscape simultaneously preferences Gold publishing models (Finch Report, RCUK, COAF) and Green OA through repository usage (HEFCE), creating the possibility of confusion and duplication of effort for academics and support staff. Alongside these policy developments, there has been an increase in open science services that aim to provide global data on OA. These services often exist separately to locally managed institutional systems for recording OA engagement and policy compliance. The aim of this study is to enhance Brunel University London’s local publication data using software which retrieves and processes information from the global open science services of Sherpa REF, CORE, and Unpaywall. The study draws on two classification schemes; a ‘best location’ hierarchy, which enables us to measure publishing trends and whether open access dissemination has taken place, and a relational ‘all locations’ dataset to examine whether individual publications appear across multiple OA dissemination models. Sherpa REF data is also used to indicate possible OA locations from serial policies. Our results find that there is an average of 4.767 permissible open access options available to the authors in our sample each time they publish and that Gold OA publications are replicated, on average, in 3 separate locations. A total of 40% of OA works in the sample are available in both Gold and Green locations. The study considers whether this tendency for duplication is a result of localised manual workflows which are necessarily focused on institutional compliance to meet the Research Excellence Framework 2021 requirements, and suggests that greater interoperability between OA systems and services would facilitate a more efficient transformation to open scholarship. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Open Access and the Library)

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2 pages, 147 KB

Open AccessEditorial

Beyond Plagiarism: Scientific Ethics and Its Other Aspects

by Svetla Baykoucheva

Publications 2018, 6(2), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6020022 - 8 May 2018

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4069

Abstract

n/a Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Scientific Ethics)

10 pages, 783 KB

Open AccessOpinion

“As-You-Go” Instead of “After-the-Fact”: A Network Approach to Scholarly Communication and Evaluation

by Chris H. J. Hartgerink and Marino Van Zelst

Publications 2018, 6(2), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6020021 - 26 Apr 2018

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 8779

Abstract

Scholarly research faces threats to its sustainability on multiple domains (access, incentives, reproducibility, inclusivity). We argue that “after-the-fact” research papers do not help and actually cause some of these threats because the chronology of the research cycle is lost in a research paper. [...] Read more.

Scholarly research faces threats to its sustainability on multiple domains (access, incentives, reproducibility, inclusivity). We argue that “after-the-fact” research papers do not help and actually cause some of these threats because the chronology of the research cycle is lost in a research paper. We propose to give up the academic paper and propose a digitally native “as-you-go” alternative. In this design, modules of research outputs are communicated along the way and are directly linked to each other to form a network of outputs that can facilitate research evaluation. This embeds chronology in the design of scholarly communication and facilitates the recognition of more diverse outputs that go beyond the paper (e.g., code, materials). Moreover, using network analysis to investigate the relations between linked outputs could help align evaluation tools with evaluation questions. We illustrate how such a modular “as-you-go” design of scholarly communication could be structured and how network indicators could be computed to assist in the evaluation process, with specific use cases for funders, universities, and individual researchers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Scholarly Communication—A Vision for Tomorrow)

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10 pages, 465 KB

Open AccessCase Report

Library-Mediated Deposit: A Gift to Researchers or a Curse on Open Access? Reflections from the Case of Surrey

by Christine Antiope Daoutis and Maria De Montserrat Rodriguez-Marquez

Publications 2018, 6(2), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6020020 - 23 Apr 2018

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 5898

Abstract

The University of Surrey was one of the first universities to set up an open access repository. The Library was the natural stakeholder to lead this project. Over the years, the service has been influenced by external and internal factors, and consequently the [...] Read more.

The University of Surrey was one of the first universities to set up an open access repository. The Library was the natural stakeholder to lead this project. Over the years, the service has been influenced by external and internal factors, and consequently the Library’s role in developing the OA agenda has changed. Here, we present the development and implementation of a fully mediated open access service at Surrey. The mediated workflow was introduced following an operational review, to ensure higher compliance and engagement from researchers. The size and responsibilities of the open access team in the Library increased to comply with internal and external policies and to implement the fully mediated workflow. As a result, there has been a growth in deposit rates and overall compliance. We discuss the benefits and shortcomings of Library mediation; its effects on the relationship between the Library, senior management and researchers, and the increasing necessity for the Library to lead towards a culture of openness beyond policy compliance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Open Access and the Library)

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15 pages, 350 KB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Data-Driven Transition: Joint Reporting of Subscription Expenditure and Publication Costs

by Irene Barbers, Nadja Kalinna and Bernhard Mittermaier

Publications 2018, 6(2), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6020019 - 23 Apr 2018

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 7620

Abstract

The transition process from the subscription model to the open access model in the world of scholarly publishing brings a variety of challenges to libraries. Within this evolving landscape, the present article takes a focus on budget control for both subscription and publication [...] Read more.

The transition process from the subscription model to the open access model in the world of scholarly publishing brings a variety of challenges to libraries. Within this evolving landscape, the present article takes a focus on budget control for both subscription and publication expenditure with the opportunity to enable the shift from one to the other. To reach informed decisions with a solid base of data to be used in negotiations with publishers, the diverse already-existing systems for managing publications costs and for managing journal subscriptions have to be adapted to allow comprehensive reporting on publication expenditure and subscription expenditure. In the case presented here, two separate systems are described and the establishment of joint reporting covering both these systems is introduced. Some of the results of joint reporting are presented as an example of how such a comprehensive monitoring can support management decisions and negotiations. On a larger scale, the establishment of the National Open Access Monitor in Germany is introduced, bringing together a diverse range of data from several already-existing systems, including, among others, holdings information, usage data, and data on publication fees. This system will enable libraries to access all relevant data with a single user interface. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Open Access and the Library)

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16 pages, 909 KB

Open AccessFeature PaperOpinion

Publish and Who Should Perish: You or Science?

by Ádám Kun

Publications 2018, 6(2), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6020018 - 23 Apr 2018

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 8499

Abstract

Something is wrong with science as there is an increasing amount of unreliable, manipulated and outright faked results appearing in the literature. Here I argue that this is a direct consequence of the pay-structure and the assessment system employed in academia and it [...] Read more.

Something is wrong with science as there is an increasing amount of unreliable, manipulated and outright faked results appearing in the literature. Here I argue that this is a direct consequence of the pay-structure and the assessment system employed in academia and it could be remedied by changing hiring, advancement, and funding criteria. Scientists are paid below average relative to their level of education, unless they are at the top or can secure grants that allow for higher salaries. Positions and grants are mostly awarded based on bibliometric numbers. Consequently, there is a strong competition to accumulate numbers of papers, impact factors, and citations. Those who can increase their value efficiently will be rewarded and the accumulation of higher values will become easier (the Matthew effect). Higher bibliometric numbers can be obtained by unethical or questionable practices, which might tempt some people. If assessments did not employ bibliometric numbers, then these practices would not have a benefit, and would fade out. Throughout the text, data from Hungary, which are similar to data from elsewhere, supplement the argument. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Scientific Ethics)

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10 pages, 447 KB

Open AccessArticle

Supporting Open Access at Kent—New Staff Roles

by Rosalyn Bass and Sarah Slowe

Publications 2018, 6(2), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6020017 - 17 Apr 2018

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 6695

Abstract

Open Access has been supported at the University of Kent from an early stage with the establishment of the Kent Academic Repository in 2007. Initially, this work was accommodated within the existing library staff structure, but the pace of change, funder requirements, and [...] Read more.

Open Access has been supported at the University of Kent from an early stage with the establishment of the Kent Academic Repository in 2007. Initially, this work was accommodated within the existing library staff structure, but the pace of change, funder requirements, and a new university plan meant that support for Open Access needed to become explicit. Therefore, a research support team was established using a matrix working system¹. This article details this new structure and reflects on the benefits and challenges it brings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Open Access and the Library)

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12 pages, 532 KB

Open AccessArticle

Utilisation of Library Information Resources among Generation Z Students: Facts and Fiction

by Oghenere Gabriel Salubi, Ezra Ondari-Okemwa and Fhulu Nekhwevha

Publications 2018, 6(2), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6020016 - 17 Apr 2018

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 23864

Abstract

Generation Z was the foremost generation to have prevalent access to the Internet from an early age. Technology has strongly influenced this generation in terms of communication, education and consequently their academic information behaviour. With the next generation of scholars already being trained, [...] Read more.

Generation Z was the foremost generation to have prevalent access to the Internet from an early age. Technology has strongly influenced this generation in terms of communication, education and consequently their academic information behaviour. With the next generation of scholars already being trained, in a decade, most of the researchers will be mainly digital natives. This study sought to establish the library information resources use pattern in relation to users’ preferred information media in order to render better academic information services to library users. A total of 390 respondents were surveyed at the Nelson Mandela University and the University of Fort Hare using quantitative and qualitative methods. Most of the respondents, 82.3%, were aged between 18 and 23 years; while the average library use time was two hours daily. The most utilised library resource is the Wi-Fi with e-books and e-journals found to be lowly utilised. Records from the E-librarians revealed that undergraduate students account for no more than 6% of total users of electronic databases with 62.3% of the respondents preferring print information resources. Better understanding of library users’ demographics and information media preference is essential in proving the right kind of information services to Generation Z library users. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Scholarly Publishing)

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10 pages, 1047 KB

Open AccessArticle

Converting the Literature of a Scientific Field to Open Access through Global Collaboration: The Experience of SCOAP3 in Particle Physics

by Alexander Kohls and Salvatore Mele

Publications 2018, 6(2), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6020015 - 9 Apr 2018

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 11396

Abstract

Gigantic particle accelerators, incredibly complex detectors, an antimatter factory and the discovery of the Higgs boson—this is part of what makes CERN famous. Only a few know that CERN also hosts the world largest Open Access initiative: SCOAP3. The Sponsoring Consortium for Open [...] Read more.

Gigantic particle accelerators, incredibly complex detectors, an antimatter factory and the discovery of the Higgs boson—this is part of what makes CERN famous. Only a few know that CERN also hosts the world largest Open Access initiative: SCOAP3. The Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access Publishing in Particle Physics started operation in 2014 and has since supported the publication of 20,000 Open Access articles in the field of particle physics, at no direct cost, nor burden, for individual authors worldwide. SCOAP3 is made possible by a 3000-institute strong partnership, where libraries re-direct funds previously used for subscriptions to ‘flip’ articles to ‘Gold Open Access’. With its recent expansion, the initiative now covers about 90% of the journal literature of the field. This article describes the economic principles of SCOAP3, the collaborative approach of the partnership, and finally summarizes financial results after four years of successful operation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Open Access and the Library)

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11 pages, 3283 KB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Exploring the Hjif-Index, an Analogue to the H-Like Index for Journal Impact Factors

by William Cabos and Juan Miguel Campanario

Publications 2018, 6(2), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6020014 - 4 Apr 2018

Viewed by 6712

Abstract

We used the Journal Impact Factor (JIF) to develop the hjif-index, calculated in a similar way to h-like indices. To this end, we mapped the JIFs of one JCR group to natural numbers, and evaluated the degree of correspondence between the interval from [...] Read more.

We used the Journal Impact Factor (JIF) to develop the hjif-index, calculated in a similar way to h-like indices. To this end, we mapped the JIFs of one JCR group to natural numbers, and evaluated the degree of correspondence between the interval from zero to the highest JIF in the group and a set of natural numbers. Next, we plotted the straight line y = x to obtain the group’s hjif-index as the JIF corresponding to the journal immediately above the straight line. We call the set of journals above the straight line the hjif-core. We calculated hjif-indices corresponding to the 2-year JIF (hjif2-index) and 5-year JIF (hjif5-index) windows for all 176 JCR groups listed in the 2014 Science edition. We also studied derived indicators such as the distribution of journals in JCR groups according to their hjif-indices, the distribution of journals and JIFs in the hjif-core, and other variables and indicators. We found that the hjif2- and hjif5-index behaved in a similar way, and that in general their distribution showed a peak followed by a relatively long tail. The hjif-index can be used as a tool to rank journals in a manner that better reflects the variable number of journals within a given JCR group and in each group’s hjif-core as an alternative to the more arbitrary JCR-based percentile ranking. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bibliometrics, Measurements and Research Evaluation)

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8 pages, 3773 KB

Open AccessArticle

Engaging and Supporting a University Press Scholarly Community

by Megan Taylor and Kathrine S. H. Jensen

Publications 2018, 6(2), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications6020013 - 27 Mar 2018

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 7261

Abstract

In this paper we explore how the development of The University of Huddersfield Press, a publisher of open access scholarly journals and monographs, has enabled the sharing of research with a wider online audience. We situate the development of the Press within a [...] Read more.

In this paper we explore how the development of The University of Huddersfield Press, a publisher of open access scholarly journals and monographs, has enabled the sharing of research with a wider online audience. We situate the development of the Press within a wider research environment and growing community of New University Presses (NUPs) where there is an increasing demand for demonstrating research impact, which drives the need for improved analysis and reporting of impact data, a task that often falls within the remit of library and academic support services. We detail the benefits of the University Press Manager role in terms of ensuring professional service that delivers consistency and sustainability. We go on to outline the experiences of engaging with different online spaces and detail the extensive support for student authors. We argue that in order for the Press to support building a strong and engaged scholarly community and provide new spaces for emerging research, continued investment in both platform development and infrastructure is required. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Open Access and the Library)

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