June update - CAUL's Fair, affordable & open access to knowledge Program

Topics CAUL Business

Four of the five projects launched under CAUL’s Fair, Affordable and Open Access to Knowledge Program have now commenced.  This post provides an update on the current status of the four projects as of June 2018. Any questions can be directed to Jill Benn (UWA) the Program Director.

Retaining Rights to Research Publications

This project commenced in February and is being led by Frances O’Neil (VU).  The project will investigate the optimal approach for researchers within Australian universities to retain rights to their research publications, and to improve and simplify compliance with their funder body requirements.  To date, the project team have:

  • completed project documentation
  • investigated international approaches
  • commenced scoping legal and intellectual property advice

It is expected that a report on this project will be presented for discussion at the September CAUL Meeting.

Review of Australian Repository Infrastructure

This project commenced in February and is being led by Martin Borchert (UNSW).  The project will review the current Australasian open access research output repository infrastructure in order to provide a current assessment and provide recommendations for future development to improve: repository interoperability; compliance with institutional, funder and F.A.I.R. policy statements; accessibility and the user experience. To date, the project team have:

  • completed project documentation
  • created and circulated an Institutional Research Repository community survey
  • undertaken an initial review of international initiatives
  • commenced the process of collecting repository user stories
  • commenced work on a report to recommend improvements to the current Australasian research repository infrastructure

It is expected that this report will be discussed at the September CAUL Meeting.

Fair Use Advocacy to Remove Barriers to Knowledge Creation and Dissemination

This project commenced in May and is being led by Catherine Clark (Curtin).  The project will provide appropriate resources and training materials for Australian university libraries to effectively advocate and build support for a ‘fair use’ copyright legislative framework that would benefit the academic and broader Australian community.  To date, the project have:

  • drafted project documentation
  • commenced an environmental scan to identify fair use advocacy materials available, including a review of examples of counter arguments, that can be made available to CAUL members

CAUL Statement on Open Scholarship Review

This project is in its early stages of being established and is being led by Peter Green (Curtin).  This project will review the CAUL Statement on Open Scholarship to ensure that there is a current, comprehensive and clear CAUL position on open access.  

The final project in the Program - Collection and Reporting of Article Processing Charges will commence in July.
 

Author Harry Rolf
Last modified 20 June 2018