CC Global Summit

Authors face a variety of challenges when seeking to publish their scholarly works consistent with open access policies and principles, and academic norms. Rather than focus on research and publication, academics often find themselves forced to navigate a legal thicket including intricate and one-sided publisher agreements that strip them of control over their research and scholarly works well into the future, all without having adequate resources and support during the submission process. Many scholars lack the resources, legal tools, and support necessary to assess and arrive at thoughtful decisions about publishing their works. The same is true for those dedicated to helping them, including librarians.
This session will delve into the practical realities of open access publishing from the perspective of authors and those who support them. We will explore strategies for how the community might best focus its efforts to change the culture and practices that impede scholars from sharing on their own terms with the fewest barriers possible. In this two-part workshop we will review goals and issues associated with simplifying and reducing barriers for authors, clarify where we should be heading and challenges from from various perspectives, and introduce new and existing tools intended to help scholars and the community retain and regain their rights to their works. Second, we will actively workshop solutions and strategies to address three practical impediments facing authors, librarians and other scholarly communications supporters: identifying knowledge gaps and how to best fill them, advocacy and new (or improved) legal tools, and identifying strategies and tactics for engaging constructively with traditional publishers. This will feed into the work we plan to do internationally to support the international research community.