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Optimizing Library Services
How Open Access and OA Agreements Can Support Diversity, Equity, & inclusion?
By Bridgette Whitt, MSLS, MA (Acquisitions Librarian and Assistant Professor of Library Science at the University of Tennessee at Martin) <bwhitt1@utm.edu>
and Caroline Campbell (Assistant Director of Marketing and Sales, IGI Global) <ccampbell@igi-global.com>
Column Editor: Mr. Nick Newcomer (Senior Director of Marketing and Sales, IGI Global) <nnewcomer@igi-global.com>
Diversity and inclusion continue at the forefront of the academic publishing world, but how are publishers and libraries working together to ensure diversity and inclusion are supported and actively promoted in academic research? You may have read the editorial piece from IGI Global, “A Critical Analysis on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Publishing Industry,” where topics such as how the historical concept of diversity in academia leads to malicious mislabeling, how the peer review process can be the key to breaking down prejudices, how citation impact can hinder diversity and inclusivity, and how libraries, researchers, and publishers can support DEI. In that article, one of the key areas that can also support DEI is open access (OA).
Although OA has been a key discussion in the overall industry, institutions, researchers, and others are, at times, hesitant to embrace OA due to the overall concerns about the quality, integrating OA resources into libraries, as well as managing OA funding. In this piece, we will cover more specifically the challenges of creating an OA movement that embraces DEI and how truly transformative OA agreements support DEI in the academic publishing world.
How Inclusive is OA?
OA enables research to be published without the content being locked from behind the traditional paywall and inherently promotes equity and inclusion, as it enables anyone from around the world to freely access it and share it.
This includes increasing the accessibility of this research to audiences that previously could not afford academic papers or may not receive as much research funding, including libraries in de“OA can pave veloping countries (with countries the way to helping increase in Africa averaging around $10 billion in available funding opportunities for researchers while counthe standing tries like the U.S. over $35 billion in of underrepresented available funding (Exlibris, 2021)). It can also enable a wider audience of researchers to build upon the reresearchers, DEi search internationally and provide research, as well key insights and breakthroughs in as providing the field of research. equitable access to the Additionally, OA can not only benefit the wider academic community but helps authors in latest research receiving a higher citation rate findings...” with OA content receiving upwards of an 89% higher download rate. Therefore, authors who publish their research under OA receive wider recognition for their work, increased networking opportunities, faster dissemination of their research (as it is published electronically immediately upon acceptance), opportunities for career advancement, and more. Through these benefits, OA can pave the way to helping increase the standing of underrepresented researchers, DEI research, as well as providing equitable access to the latest research findings regardless of socio-economic factors, gender, race, etc.
Cost Barriers for Underrepresented researchers
Although these benefits on the surface seem like plausible solutions to increase the accessibility of research and help increase DEI in academic publishing, a looming challenge for researchers is overcoming the costs associated with publishing under OA.
In the traditional subscription-based model, the cost to the publisher to produce each article is covered by the revenue generated by journal subscriptions. Under OA, all the articles are published under a Creative Commons (CC BY) license; therefore, the authors or funding body will pay a one-time article processing charge (APC) to offset the costs of all the activities associated with the publication of the article manuscript. This can include costs associated with: • Digital tools used to support the manuscript management and review process • Typesetting, formatting, and layout of the research • Online hosting and maintenance • Submission of the journal’s content to numerous abstracts, directories, and indexes • Third-party software (e.g., plagiarism checks) • Editorial support includes manuscript tracking, communications, submission guideline checks, and communications with authors and reviewers • All promotional support and activities include metadata distribution, press releases, promotional communications, web content, ads, flyers, brochures, postcards, etc. for the journal and its published contents • The internal staff needed to ensure that these processes are completed correctly and to provide support to authors and editors
However, with this APC model, some publishers have been profiteering from high-impact journals based on the sheer need for researchers to publish in these outlets. According to the article, “The Pricing of Open Access Journals: Diverse Niches and Sources of Value in Academic Publishing,” written by Profs. Kyle Siler, University of Sussex, UK, and Koen Frenken, Utrecht University, Netherlands, “At the high end of the market, publishing consultants have floated the notion of US$ 25,000 APCs for outlets such as Nature and Science, based on the premise that the willingness of authors to submit articles to prestigious journals is highly priced inelastic. A Springer Nature publishing executive once argued, ‘In the end, the price is set by what the market wants to pay for it.’” (Siler & Frenken, 2020)
These costs alone make it increasingly difficult for academicians in developing countries to benefit from having their work published under OA. A Quartz Africa article breaks down this issue noting that the current OA model is hurting these academicians as: “The cost [of open access] is usually borne by individual researchers in many institutions. This is a huge burden particularly in developing countries with weaker currencies. Some universities can cover part or all of the cost of open access articles, but some make no provision. Universities in most economies, particularly in the developing world, are under huge financial pressure.” (Wingfield, 2019)
Funding Barriers for Non-Western Countries and Institutions
Additionally, although, the current national funding agencies have been increasing resources and mandates on having all research be published under OA, these funding sources often can exclude independent researchers (as many funders require an affiliation with a research institution), as well as can cause barriers for early career researchers and those outside of the European and United States research community.
According to Prof. Xavier Bosch, University of Barcelona’s Hospital Clínic in Barcelona, Spain, if the academic community continues to rely on the financial support of the few funding agencies and organizations, it can “threaten editorial independence.” He states:
How Can Open Access read & Publish or Publish & Read Agreements Truly Support DEI?
Due to these factors, the recent establishment of Read & Publish and Publish & Read models have come to the forefront and establish an opportunity for publishers and libraries to become champions of the OA movement. With major publishers, including Cambridge University Press, Elsevier, IGI Global, Wiley, Springer, Sage, and more launching these models, libraries and publishers can work together to increase OA research and its availability to underfunded institutions.
Although there has been a lot of discussion in the industry on the benefits of these models, it can still be a challenge for libraries to integrate them into their institutions and budgets. As many know and understand, smaller institutional libraries, like the University of Tennessee-Martin, must provide access within the constraints of tight budgets and increased content costs, and many of the larger publishers of scholarly materials do not offer the Read & Publish and Publish & Read models. They instead offer minimal discounts towards OA APC fees to researchers at subscribing institutions. Additionally, smaller institutions are limited to placing priority on acquiring high-usage items, materials needed for departmental accreditations, and faculty publication. Another major difficulty is having faculty be able to meet their scholarship expectations by publishing in OA publications that are offered in one of these models.
To assist in combatting these challenges, University of Tennessee Martin took part in IGI Global’s OA Fee Waiver (Read and Publish) Initiative. When their library invests in IGI Global’s e-Collections, the publisher matched their investment with a fund of 100% OA APC waivers. Under this initiative, the institution was able to affordably acquire research content within the confines of its budget and receive sustainable OA funding.
“IGI Global’s OA Fee Waiver (Read and Publish) agreements ensures institutions can acquire access to needed research, mitigates “double-dipping,” and provides a sustainable source of OA funding,” explains Mr. Nick Newcomer, Senior Director of Marketing and Sales. “Additionally, through our Publish & Read models, it can truly provide support for DEI through platinum funding of entire publications that have a host of international contributors associated with the project.”
Not only can institutions receive this sustainable funding through a Read & Publish model, but they can benefit from Publish & Read models, where they can support individual reference books and scholarly journal funding in being published under diamond/platinum OA. Through these models, they can: • Provide platinum/diamond OA funding to a faculty-led scholarly journal: This not only increases the prestige of the journal and the faculty, but as each of our journals contain thousands of contributors from around the globe, it helps increase the visibility of these researchers’ articles. Additionally, it increases the overall standing of the journal in indices, including Web of Science and Scopus, which can assist early career researchers, researchers from developing countries, and underrepresented scholars in receiving credit and recognition for their work. • Provide OA funding for an OA reference book: Similar to journals, each edited book contains research from international contributors, and it can increase the discoverability of the title and the recognition of underrepresented researchers. It can also be utilized to help fund a publication in DEI that would not have been funded. • Provide 100% OA article processing charge and/ or book processing charge waivers: This enables faculty, students, and staff at institutions to freely publish an OA article and chapter (after the peer review and acceptance). Additionally, based on the agreement this option can be combined with the options above or be offered unlimitedly.
These models not only provide a valuable opportunity for increasing OA funding and wider accessibility of resources but can provide a wider opportunity to support DEI. Historically, under traditional Read & Publish and Publish & Read models (i.e., Elsevier’s offering with the University of California, Wiley’s agreement with JiSC, etc.), the availability of open access funding and access to the publisher’s research has been limited to the individual institution(s), which only enables faculty, staff, and students at the institution to take advantage of OA funding.
However, similar transformative models like this can provide broader accessibility of resources and provide OA funding to researchers from various institutions and countries through the funding of full OA publications. For example, IGI Global’s publications contain articles and chapters from international researchers, and through a library supporting the OA funding of an OA reference book or platinum scholarly journal, it can increase the prestige of the editor from their institution while providing the opportunity for other international researchers to benefit from this funding and access to this research.
This model has inspired many current transformative OA models, including the University of Cambridge’s popular Read & Publish model and other smaller presses. Institutions taking part in these models not only can provide sustainable OA funding for their researchers but can become the champions of the OA and DEI movements. It provides the control of OA funding to the individual institution and enables librarians to collaborate directly with the publisher and their patrons to become the facilitator of this model and funds. Additionally, through these truly transformative agreements, it can: • Maximize Library Investment in Content: Through e-Collections, libraries can receive better cost savings for individual titles. • Pave the Way for Industry-Disrupting Agreements: Through libraries collaborating with independent publishers, who can be more flexible, it encourages larger publishers to take part in truly transformative agreements. • Increase Funding to Underrepresented Researchers: It can increase the chances of researchers and institutions to obtain funding from different funding bodies based on their support of OA. This can assist with funds/grants for underrepresented or underfunded areas of research. When institutions participate in the OA movement, they are showcased as leaders which increases their prestige. • Encourage International Collaboration: Not only are OA models paving the way for more accessibility for diverse research, but they can indirectly increase funding for international collaborations between institutions. Full OA funding for projects or papers with authors from various institutions across the world through Read and Publish/Publish and Read agreements can help promote DEI by fully covering APCs or OA fees for any participating researcher. For example, with IGI Global’s OA Fee Waiver Initiative, papers are 100% covered under an OA APC waiver per the corresponding author, meaning the full paper is opened regardless of the number of authors and their affiliations as long as the corresponding author of the paper (or in some cases project) has access to the OA funds necessary.
Conclusion
These are just a few examples of the complexities of transformative OA agreements and how they support the OA and DEI movement. Only by coming together to have a conversation about how publishers can collaborate with libraries on customized solutions will we be able to disrupt the current industry norms and move forward with truly transformative OA agreement options.
Librarians and publishers need to come together to discuss how to promote the Read & Publish and Publish & Read models to institutional researchers so that all parties can benefit. Additionally, there needs to be a discussion amongst all groups regarding changing the outdated expectations of what specific scholarly publications (which tend to be expensive and less inclusive) are acceptable for publishing in certain disciplines to more of a globally accessible model where the OA publications are considered just as prestigious. The academic community will see change when all parties come together, and truly transformative OA models are embraced.
If you are interested in supporting IGI Global in ensuring that the global community has access to needed resources or would like more information on IGI Global’s OA Fee Waiver (Read & Publish) Initiative, please contact IGI Global’s e-Collections Team at <eresources@igi-global.com>.
References
Bosch, X. (2008, May). An open challenge. open access and the challenges for scientific publishing. EMBO reports. https:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2373378/
Research funding insights - global funding trends: Ex libris. Exlibris. (2021, June 21). https://funding-insights.exlibrisgroup. com/#anchor_country
Siler, K., & Frenken, K. (2020, February 1). The pricing of open access journals: Diverse niches and sources of value in academic publishing. Quantitative Science Studies. https://direct.mit.edu/ qss/article/1/1/28/15570/The-pricing-of-open-access-journalsDiverse-niches
Wingfield, B. (2019, April 12). The Open Access Research model is hurting academics in poorer countries. Quartz. Retrieved August 5, 2021, from https://qz.com/africa/1593271/open-access-research-publishing-hurts-academics-in-poor-countries/.
