Open access: are we there yet? - the case of Stellenbosch University, South Africa
<p><em>It is often acknowledged that African and other developing countries have a desperate need for quality scholarly information to advance their research output and to make a contribution to the world of scholarly communication. In terms of Africa, South Africa is the most significan...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch University
2012-10-01
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| Series: | South African Journal of Libraries and Information Science |
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| Online Access: | http://sajlis.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/29 |
| _version_ | 1819292081754996736 |
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| author | Reggie Raju Ina Smith Hilton Gibson Paulette Talliard |
| author_facet | Reggie Raju Ina Smith Hilton Gibson Paulette Talliard |
| author_sort | Reggie Raju |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p><em>It is often acknowledged that African and other developing countries have a desperate need for quality scholarly information to advance their research output and to make a contribution to the world of scholarly communication. In terms of Africa, South Africa is the most significant producer of research output in sub-Saharan Africa and has, therefore by default, become a beacon of hope for Africa in the area of research production. This case study focuses on the contribution of Stellenbosch University (SU) to the African research agenda through making its research output available via two different publishing models. The first model is the hosting and preservation of its research output via an institutional repository (the green route to open access). The second model is hosting and publishing open access journals, following one of two ‘streams’ in the gold route. </em></p><p><em>In this paper, the authors contextualize open access. The two publishing models in support of the Strategic Plan for the Environment of the Vice Rector (Research) are discussed as it applies to SU. The Library’s adoption of the role of ‘publisher’ is also examined. In the case of SU, Open Journal Systems (OJS) is the software of choice for hosting open access online journals. The paper provides background on OJS, and also discusses the significance of OJS publishing for the University and its researchers. It concludes with the view that despite the perceived success of the Library and Information Service in making available research output in open access format, there are still many challenges that need to be overcome, and that this process is a continuous one and should remain so in order to continuously take advantage of opportunities offered by evolving technology.<strong></strong></em></p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-24T03:48:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-808afd9c30664769b83d643264a25032 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2304-8263 0256-8861 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-24T03:48:52Z |
| publishDate | 2012-10-01 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Journal of Libraries and Information Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-808afd9c30664769b83d643264a250322022-12-21T17:16:39ZengStellenbosch UniversitySouth African Journal of Libraries and Information Science2304-82630256-88612012-10-0180210.7553/80-2-29Open access: are we there yet? - the case of Stellenbosch University, South AfricaReggie RajuIna SmithHilton GibsonPaulette Talliard<p><em>It is often acknowledged that African and other developing countries have a desperate need for quality scholarly information to advance their research output and to make a contribution to the world of scholarly communication. In terms of Africa, South Africa is the most significant producer of research output in sub-Saharan Africa and has, therefore by default, become a beacon of hope for Africa in the area of research production. This case study focuses on the contribution of Stellenbosch University (SU) to the African research agenda through making its research output available via two different publishing models. The first model is the hosting and preservation of its research output via an institutional repository (the green route to open access). The second model is hosting and publishing open access journals, following one of two ‘streams’ in the gold route. </em></p><p><em>In this paper, the authors contextualize open access. The two publishing models in support of the Strategic Plan for the Environment of the Vice Rector (Research) are discussed as it applies to SU. The Library’s adoption of the role of ‘publisher’ is also examined. In the case of SU, Open Journal Systems (OJS) is the software of choice for hosting open access online journals. The paper provides background on OJS, and also discusses the significance of OJS publishing for the University and its researchers. It concludes with the view that despite the perceived success of the Library and Information Service in making available research output in open access format, there are still many challenges that need to be overcome, and that this process is a continuous one and should remain so in order to continuously take advantage of opportunities offered by evolving technology.<strong></strong></em></p>http://sajlis.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/29Developing countriesInstitutional repositoriesOpen accessOpen access informationOpen access journalsOpen Journal Systems (OJS) |
| spellingShingle | Reggie Raju Ina Smith Hilton Gibson Paulette Talliard Open access: are we there yet? - the case of Stellenbosch University, South Africa South African Journal of Libraries and Information Science Developing countries Institutional repositories Open access Open access information Open access journals Open Journal Systems (OJS) |
| title | Open access: are we there yet? - the case of Stellenbosch University, South Africa |
| title_full | Open access: are we there yet? - the case of Stellenbosch University, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Open access: are we there yet? - the case of Stellenbosch University, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Open access: are we there yet? - the case of Stellenbosch University, South Africa |
| title_short | Open access: are we there yet? - the case of Stellenbosch University, South Africa |
| title_sort | open access are we there yet the case of stellenbosch university south africa |
| topic | Developing countries Institutional repositories Open access Open access information Open access journals Open Journal Systems (OJS) |
| url | http://sajlis.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/29 |
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