The DIAMAS project has launched the Diamond OA Standard (DOAS), a pioneering tool designed to elevate the quality of Diamond Open Access (OA) publishing. This comprehensive framework serves as both a technical guide and a practical benchmarking resource, combining detailed guidelines with a self-assessment tool to help publishers enhance their standards.
DOAS is built upon essential, testable criteria across seven key components of scholarly publishing:
• Funding
• Legal Ownership, Mission, and Governance
• Open Science
• Editorial Management, Editorial Quality, and Research Integrity
• Technical Service Efficiency
• Visibility, Communication, Marketing, and Impact
• Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB), Multilingualism, and Gender Equity
Each component is supported by detailed guidelines derived from rigorous analysis and community feedback, ensuring DOAS addresses the most critical aspects of equitable, transparent, and high-quality scholarly publishing.
DOAS aims to promote a publishing model that is both accessible and governed by the academic community. By adhering to the standards outlined in DIAMAS project deliverable EQSIP, publishers can ensure their practices meet the highest levels of integrity and quality.
The introduction of the DOAS self-assessment tool marks a significant advancement in maintaining high-quality standards in Diamond OA publishing. This tool allows publishers to evaluate their compliance with DOAS criteria, providing a clear pathway to enhance their publishing practices. Institutions can identify strengths and weaknesses, facilitating improvements towards achieving Diamond OA-level publishing standards.
How to Implement DOAS:
• Review: Examine evidence-based standards across the seven core components of scholarly publishing.
• Assess: Utilize the self-assessment tool to evaluate compliance with Diamond OA quality standards.
• Transform: Transition publishing operations to an equitable model. Diamondise your journals!
• Evaluate: Continuously assess adherence to DOAS, identifying areas for improvement.
Why Use DOAS:
• Integrity and Standards: Upholds the integrity of scholarly publishing through adherence to community-developed, evidence-based standards.
• Support for Diamond Publishing: Ensures high standards and supports the growth of Diamond OA publishing.
• Transparency: Maintains transparency in governance, processes, and workflows, crucial for credible and ethical publishing activities.
To help users understand DOAS, the DIAMAS project has published a factsheet and a short video showcasing the self-assessment tool. These resources are designed to assist journal editors and publishers in adopting and promoting high-quality Diamond OA publishing practices.
By utilizing DOAS, publishers can ensure the highest standards in Diamond OA publishing, contributing to a more equitable and transparent scholarly communication landscape.
Click here to read the original press release.
