IGI Global, a distinguished international academic publishing house, has released the findings of its inaugural "IGI Global OA Annual Academic Publishing Trends and Open Access Survey." Challenging assumptions about the universal understanding of open access (OA) among researchers, the survey provides a nuanced perspective on the global academic community's awareness and opinions regarding OA publishing support.
The survey, administered to over 200,000 researchers worldwide, aimed to dissect the intricacies, challenges, and prospects associated with contemporary scholarly OA publishing. The comprehensive analysis encompassed an assessment of OA trends, including responses from researchers of diverse ages, experiences, fields, and ethnicities.
The survey uncovered disparities in researchers' perceptions of support for OA publishing, indicating that many feel left to grapple with challenges independently. Dr. Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Sixth Edition, emphasized the need for collective support from governments, institutions, publishers, and other stakeholders to ensure the sustainability of OA publishing.
Librarians were identified as crucial facilitators of OA publishing, with a call for them to play a more active role in supporting faculty through comprehensive OA educational programs. Dr. Kristine Blair, Dean of Liberal Arts at Duquesne University, stressed the importance of university-wide commitments to open access to foster sustainability and accessibility.
Melissa Wagner, Vice President of Editorial at IGI Global, expressed surprise at researchers' reported lack of support, highlighting the necessity for continued educational support from publishers. The survey underscored the need for collaborative efforts to enhance support for researchers navigating the landscape of OA publishing.
IGI Global urges increased collaboration among publishers, funders, institutions, and libraries to better support researchers in leveraging OA publishing opportunities. The survey results aim to raise awareness about the challenges faced by the research community in the realm of OA publishing, emphasizing the collective responsibility to promote open science in scholarly communication.
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