JISC

Open access enhances scholarly communication by making the results of publicly funded research available to all.

Why open access?

Opening the knowledge base to all means more researchers can build on it and there is less duplication of effort. Researchers can reach a greater audience and find that their work is more widely read and cited, institutions gain an enhanced reputation as their research becomes more visible, funding agencies see a greater return on their investment, and publishers find that the impact of their journals increases. JISC has been at the forefront of the open access debate from the very beginning

As a result, publicly-funded research has more impact and society as a whole benefits.

JISC has been at the forefront of the open access debate from the very beginning. In the UK it is supportinGet the latest information on JISC's work on open access at the UK Open Access Implementation Groupg institutions in the move to greater open access by funding programmes to build and enhance institutional Open Access repositories. It is helping researchers to use those repositories more effectively, and making it easier for them to do so through technology. JISC is also working with publishers to explore new business models for open access scholarly communications. Internationally, JISC is engaging with the wider academic research community and with policy-makers to transform attitudes towards open access within Europe and beyond.

 
JISC open access vision

Open access is free online access to the outputs of publicly funded research. It is typically focused on peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers.

Open access benefits UK research, by increasing its impact and enabling researchers to use any such outputs they might need for their work.

Open access benefits the UK economy by enabling innovation, policy and practice better to draw from rigorous academic research.

JISC strongly supports open access and encourages authors to publish in open access journals, self-archive their articles in repositories, or both.

JISC acknowledges that there are reasons why open access has not become universal, and that cultural change, policy development, technical infrastructure and sustainable business models are all needed in a transition to open access.

Open access is part of a broader move toward more 'open' approaches in higher and further education. JISC supports the development and sharing of Open Educational Resources, is exploring open open access to monographs, and promotes open data where appropriate, allowing for complex issues (for example, of consent). 

What is Open Access & What Rights do Scholars and Scientists have?

Institutions and open access  Learn more about open access policies, why they are important and how to implement Business case for open access  Research demonstrates how open access offers economic rewards for universities, SMEs and the UK as a whole. Read the research here. What is JISC doing?  JISC has been at the forefront of the open access agenda for more than a decade. Learn more about its work in this area, from negotiating with publishers to building repositories What others say  Read testimonials about the benefits of open access from senior managers, funders and publishers Multimedia  Watch and listen to podcasts and videos on all aspects of open access, from vice-chancellors, funders, academics and more Reports JISC has commissioned a wealth of research into open access. Discover a complete list here and browse summaries or download the full reports Find out more about all aspects of JISC's work in the open access arena, along with case studies and interviews, in JISC's open access brochure.

Open Access Week 2011 was a global event providing an opportunity for the academic and research community to continue to learn about the potential benefits of open access. To find out more visit: