Open Access - Key resources - Research to Action

"Here at R2A we have pulled together a reading list of some key resources about open access.

1. ‘Open Access: What’s that about?‘ provides a useful introduction and overview of open access designed for those new to the topic. It also contains a list of open-access projects, websites, and articles.
2. ‘Open Access Explained!‘ is a fantastic animated introduction to open access produced by PhD Comics.
3. Duncan Edward’s blog ‘Open data and increasing the impact of research? It’s a piece of cake!‘ explains how open data fits within a Theory of Change about how research knowledge can influence development.
4. Roger Harris reflects on the question ‘Does open science support open knowledge?‘ in this blog and presents the findings from a survey of ICT4D researchers about various aspects of achieving impact.
5. ‘Accessing peer review through open access‘ is a brief guide for researchers about locating and downloading peer-reviewed articles on climate change.
6. DFID’s ‘Research Open- and Enhanced-Access Policy‘ and ‘Implementation Guide‘ give an overview of what DFID expects of funded research projects in terms of open access. DFID defines open access as ‘irrevocable and free online access by any user worldwide to full text/full version scientific and scholarly material (‘outputs’)’.
7. Aptivate’s ‘Web design guidelines for low bandwidth‘ provide guidelines, good practice, and tips on how to ensure that web pages and downloads of research resources are accessible whilst using limited bandwidths.
8. ‘What you need to know about the REF open access policy‘ by Mafalda Marques on the Jisc Blog explains the implications of the Research Excellence Framework in the UK, including open access into their ongoing evaluation of higher education institutions.
9. International Open Access Week is organised each year by SPARC to promote open access and increase awareness of its importance. In 2017 Open Access week takes place 23–29 October.
10. The Open Access Button and ImpactStory’s new Unpaywall button offer a way to locate open access research using an extension attached to an internet browser.

Find more information about open access and reflections about putting open access into practice, in the open access collection on Research to Action."