Survey: > half of academic authors unsure whether publishing agreements allow a copy of their articles in IR

Bernard Lane May 28, 2008
ACADEMICS acknowledge the importance of making their research widely available but in any conflict between open access and the career-boost of a prestigious publication they would opt for the traditional, subscription journal.

A new survey by the Open Access to Knowledge Project at the Queensland University of Technology also reports that more than half of academic authors are unsure whether their publishing agreements with journals allow them to put a copy of their articles in an open access repository.

"It is, I suppose, a little unsettling to see that a lot of people are saying, 'we're not really sure what we're signing and how that will affect dissemination of our research'," said Brian Fitzgerald, OAK law project leader, although the survey showed enthusiasm for open access, especially among early career academics.

Professor Fitzgerald said universities needed to give researchers more advice about how to "strategically manage their copyright" for private benefit and public good.