Open Access (OA) makes research literature freely available to all readers, by various mechanisms. It’s the flip side of academia’s gift economy, where scholars and researchers also write, review and edit for free.
OA at the U
Open Access fits in with the U’s commitment to "making the knowledge and resources created and preserved at the University accessible to the citizens of the state, the nation, and the world." See the U’s policy on Open Access to Scholarly Articles
Scholars across the U work towards open access by
- making their own works openly available
- running OA publications; see open access publications hosted at the University
- working with professional societies on OA projects
OA at the U Libraries
OA publishing has broad benefits:
- authors retain greater control of rights in their publications
- readers have broader freedoms to use published research.
The University Libraries therefore supports and encourages Open Access as part of helping authors and editors explore a wide variety of publishing options. Library services include
- providing general information about OA and other publishing options
- providing 1-on-1 publishing consultations
- providing OA publishing services
- providing consultative services and infrastructure support for the University's Open Access to Scholarly Publications policy.
Questions or comments about OA? Contact openaccess@umn.edu