Drafting an Open Access Policy : some notes

Many institutions follow-up their commitment to openness by crafting a policy - as a guideline for institutional partners in handling open access related issues. Open Access Policies are either departmental, institutional, multi-institutional,or funder policies (see ROARMAP). While there are many reasons for institutions coming up with an open access policy, in most cases two objectives emerge, (1) to maximise the visibility, usage, and impact of research output by maximizing online access for all would be users and researchers worldwide (research output as a public good),and to (2) maximize the visibility of an institution’s scholarly products (institutional good)

Key componets of an Open Access Policy Document
 
While policies differ, the following are some of the general items one should consider including in a policy:-
 
  • Preamble (stating Objective, and Reasons behind)
  • Coverage of Policy
  • Open Access Routes
  • Embargoes and Exceptions
  • Content types covered
  • Deposits locus
  • Copyright and licensing statement
  • Permissions
  • Reviewing Policy
  • Implementation Details

Review an example of a draft Open Access Policy, click here.

To find out more on Open Access Policy read the following resources ; also available on AIMS Open Access Resources section:-

  1. CIARD Pathways
  2. Policy guidelines for the development and promotion of open access, by UNESCO
  3. Good practices for university open-access policies, by Harvard OA Project
  4. Open Access Policies Kit, by RCAAP