Abstract
As open access gains a strong foothold in medical publishing, social science scholars increasingly are looking for outlets to make their own research open access. In STM, publication fees of the major open access journals start at $1,350, with payment often covered as part of grants received from pharmaceutical companies, government, and other organized entities. In contrast, limited grant funding in the social sciences doesn’t typically include publication support, so the question remains, “How can the open access model work for the social sciences?” This moderated panel discussion included representatives from libraries, university administration, and publishers to gain a full view of the current open access funding and publishing landscape and what might lie ahead. The conversation particularly focused on the librarian’s role in facilitating the open access funding and publishing processes and how the role of a social science librarian may change in an open access world.
Making Open Access Work in the Social Sciences
As open access gains a strong foothold in medical publishing, social science scholars increasingly are looking for outlets to make their own research open access. In STM, publication fees of the major open access journals start at $1,350, with payment often covered as part of grants received from pharmaceutical companies, government, and other organized entities. In contrast, limited grant funding in the social sciences doesn’t typically include publication support, so the question remains, “How can the open access model work for the social sciences?” This moderated panel discussion included representatives from libraries, university administration, and publishers to gain a full view of the current open access funding and publishing landscape and what might lie ahead. The conversation particularly focused on the librarian’s role in facilitating the open access funding and publishing processes and how the role of a social science librarian may change in an open access world.