Completing the Circle: Open Access to Translational Research and Scholarly Works

Abstract:  Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis’ (IUPUI’s) Center for Translating Research Into Practice (TRIP) and IUPUI University Library (Library) developed a partnership to enhance community access to faculty scholarship resulting from translational research. Library staff archives the scholarship of faculty affiliated with TRIP in IUPUI ScholarWorks, the campus’s open-access institutional repository. The TRIP Scholarly Works Program launched in 2013, and outcomes include benefits for faculty authors (increased readership) and for a world of readers (free access). After almost ten years in existence, Library and TRIP staff sought to evaluate the success of this program. Librarians and TRIP staff distributed a survey to TRIP-affiliated faculty to assess the impact of open access to their scholarship on their work as translational scholars. Faculty participants report a variety of benefits and yet, also indicate a need for increased program communication and fewer barriers to participation.