Join the UCSF Library in celebrating 2020 International Open Access Week in September and October! Open access (OA) is the free, immediate, worldwide access to research publications and other outputs, and the right to share and re-use these outputs. See the two primary approaches to OA in “What is Open Access?”
International Open Access Week, a global event now entering its thirteenth year, is an opportunity for OA advocates to engage with their communities about the benefits of open access and to inspire wider participation in making open access the norm in scholarship and research.
Open with purpose: Taking action to build structural equity and inclusion
This year’s Open Access Week theme is Open with Purpose. Open access offers an excellent opportunity for building more equitable systems of knowledge sharing. Yet today, structural racism, discrimination, and exclusion are present and persistent even in places where openness is a core value. As a global community, it is important to acknowledge that many scholarly communication systems of today are built upon legacies of historic injustice and that we must address these inequities.
We must examine who these spaces and systems are designed for and who’s missing, who is excluded by the business models we use, and whose interests are prioritized. As we work together to make OA the norm in scholarship and research, we must commit to building equity and inclusion into the structures that support these endeavors. The UCSF Library is committed to building a diverse and inclusive library as a means of promoting health equality and counteracting historic and current systems of oppression. Read more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion.
This year’s activities
This year we’re planning activities both before and during the official OA Week of October 19-25:
- Take part in our Virtual Meetup: Open Science during the COVID-19 Era (featuring George Rutherford and several lightning talks), September 30, 4:00 – 5:30 pm
- Participate in Open Science 101: Getting started with open research tools and workflows (online workshop), October 13, 10:30 – noon
- Join us for “Predatory” publishing: Addressing bias and avoiding pitfalls (online event), October 10, noon – 1pm
- Book office hours with an open access and scholarly communication expert
- Interact with us on open research topics via Twitter @ucsf_library and @OpenSci_UCSF
Open access resources
Since we can’t provide in-person information or have face-to-face discussions like we normally do at our OA Week Information Table, here we reference some core resources related to this topic:
- How UC is contributing to the advancement of open access
- Tips & Resources for evaluating journals and conferences
- Open access publishing discounts and funding support
- 10 ways to support open research
- UCSF’s Open Science Group
As always, don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have a question or feedback, or would like an expert on any of these topics to visit your group.