UMass Amherst Open Access Policy Review

The UMass Amherst Libraries are conducting a survey from October 21 through November 15, 2024 to collect faculty input on their knowledge and use of the university’s institutional Open Access Policy, as well as suggestions for improvements and how the Libraries can further support open access publishing.

Endorsed by the Faculty Senate, the Open Access Policy went into effect on July 1, 2016. Under this policy, “each Faculty member grants to the University a nonexclusive, irrevocable, worldwide license to exercise any and all rights under copyright relating to each of his or her scholarly articles, in any medium, provided that the articles are not sold for a profit, and to authorize others to do the same.” This applies to articles authored or co-authored while the person is a faculty member at UMass Amherst and since the Policy went into effect. On behalf of the university, the Libraries implemented and continue to manage an institutional repository, ScholarWorks, a platform for open access articles, books, conference proceedings, data, and more.

As it is now time to review the policy, the Libraries’ survey will be distributed to all faculty during International Open Access Week, beginning on October 21, and remain open through November 15. Those who complete the survey and opt in to the raffle have a chance to win one of three $100 Dining Cards, courtesy of the Libraries.

In addition to the survey, the Libraries are conducting an analysis of institutional outputs of articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings from 2017 to 2023 and of deposits to ScholarWorks. Focus groups will be conducted early in the spring 2025 semester to add qualitative detail to faculty awareness and use of the Open Access Policy. If you have questions about the survey or the Open Access Policy review, please contact Christine Turner, Scholarly Communication Librarian, cturner@umass.edu.