Working With Campus Partners to Publish Peer-Reviewed, Open Access Journals

Wayne Johnston is a Digital Initiatives Librarian at the University of Guelph.The session will begin with an overview of peer-reviewed, open access journal publishing activity at the University of Guelph library. Three journals currently in production include one on improvisational music, one on ichthyology and one on library and information science. Those in development include an interdisciplinary journal of undergraduate research and a Scottish studies journal. We will look at the library's experience working with campus partners as well as ways that the library has benefitted from the experience to date. From those specific examples we will step back and look more broadly at open access journals. This will include some perspective on the open access movement including what it means for developing countries. We will review recent studies on impact analysis and the perceived status of open access journals. We will also look at emerging trends with respect to economic models and funders' policies regarding open access. Next, we will review OJS, the leading open source software for publishing open access journals. The editorial roles and workflow will be analyzed. The underlying technology will be discussed. We will look at the strengths and weaknesses of OJS and highlight the features that add value to the reader's experience. Finally, we will look at the prospects for the global open access movement and the viability of publishing journals locally