Building a National Community of Practice for Diamond Open Access | Katina Magazine

"The IOAP (Irish Open Access Publishers), of which I am manager and co-founder, was established in 2021 as a national community of practice to advance sustainable diamond open access (OA) publishing in Ireland. Its aim is “to unite and strengthen communication and knowledge sharing among a diverse range of Diamond Open Access publishers in Ireland, engaging a wide variety of stakeholders including library publishers, institutional publishers, academics, students, librarians, national and international open access agencies, policymakers, and funders” (Irish Open Access Publishers, n.d.).

At a recent IOAP Advisory Board meeting, discussions on community activity and engagement were so extensive that little time remained for strategic input from expert Advisory Board members. This moment underscored the rapid growth and impact of the IOAP—what began as a small initiative has evolved into a dynamic and engaged network of practitioners. Understanding how this development has occurred requires a closer examination of the processes that underpin effective communities of practice...."