Creating an Open Access Journal

A Case Study

The Conference for Entrepreneurial LibrariansMarch 11, 2011

Joe M. Williams & Stephen H. Dew, Ph.D.

Overview

• Open Access publishing @ University Libraries, UNC Greensboro

• Journal of Learning Spaces• Back story, current status• Lessons learned so far• What’s next• Questions

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Entrepreneurism

• Project began at Univ. Libraries…• No profits, but potential rewards• Significant risks

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Library Goals & Customer Service Values Addressed by OJS

PublishingGoals of the University Libraries• Build and preserve print, electronic resources and

other unique collections that support the University's missions and programs

• Seek out and take advantage of appropriate entrepreneurial opportunities

Customer Service Values• We must provide an environment that encourages

creativity and innovation in the delivery of our services. • We will create systems, services, and procedures with

our customers' needs foremost in mind.

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Benefits of OJS Publishing at UNCG

• Open-Source Software (no cost on a tight budget)

• Prior to OJS, no support for faculty to publish scholarly journals

• Library is still an information provider, but it is now also an information creator

• Faculty and administrators see the library playing an increasingly important and expanding role

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Journal of Learning Spaces

Topic of shared interest

Institutional history

Mix of schools and departments

ERIT commits to support OJS

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Journal of Learning Spaces

Filling a perceived void

Collaborative, multidisciplinary efforts

Creating on online learning space

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Focus and Scope

“A peer-reviewed, open-access journal published biannually, The Journal of Learning Spaces provides a scholarly, multidisciplinary forum for research articles, case studies, book reviews, and position pieces related to all aspects of learning space design, operation, pedagogy, and assessment.”

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Focus and Scope

Learning spaces encompass formal, informal, and virtual environments:– formal: lecture halls, laboratories,

traditional classrooms– informal: learning commons,

multimedia sandbox, residential study areas, huddle rooms

– virtual: learning management systems, social media websites, online virtual environments

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Getting Started

• DOAJ Start-up Guide• One-page vision document• One meeting face-to-face

– Scholarly Communications librarian

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OJS Roles

• Manager• Subscription Manager• Editors• Section Editors• Peer Reviewers• Copyeditors, Layout Editors, &

Proofreaders• Authors• Readers

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UNCG OJS PublicationsCurrently in Development

• Women & Girls in Sport• International Journal of Nurse

Practitioner Educators• Journal of Applied Peace &

Conflict Studies• Journal of Learning Spaces• Richard Hoggart Society

Newsletter• UNCG Technical Reports

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Lessons Learned: OA Publishing

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• Faculty who have an interest in journal publishing find OJS to be a great service; however, only a limited number will take on the challenge of starting a new journal

• Even the faculty and administrators who are not directly involved with OJS view this service as a positive and important development , and they see the library playing an increasingly important and expanding role on campus

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Lessons Learned: OA Publishing

• Some of the OJS software is not intuitive, so there is usually a learning curve and the need of some library assistance

• Most faculty are not familiar with how to get journals indexed, so assistance from liaisons and reference librarians may be necessary

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Lessons Learned: JLS

• Give yourself time• Use software before publication• Lots of unknowns

– Duties– Work loads– Community response

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Current status: JLS

Scope, focus, publication schedule

Org. structure ISSN assignedCFP editors, peer

reviewers closedCFP authors open!

• Finalizing content• Interactivity• Indexing• Marketing

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What’s Next

• Journal of Learning Spaces Conference– Build on community– Keep project active, applied– Virtual or face-to-face?

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Related Resources of Interest

• DOAJ Guide to OA Journal Publishing http://www.doaj.org/bpguide/

• Open Access Overview, Peter Suber http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/overview.htm

• OJS User Guide• http://pkp.sfu.ca/ojs/docs/userguide/2.3.3/

index.html• OJS Tutorials

http://libguides.acadiau.ca/content.php?pid=38188&sid=280491

• UNCG OJS Homepage http://libjournal.uncg.edu/ojs/

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With OJS at UNCG Libraries, we have now joined the

publishing industry.

The Journal of Learning Spacesis just the Beginning

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Wiley and Elsevier, Beware!

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