With the help of academic search engine optimization (ASEO), publications can more easily be found in academic search engines and databases. Authors can improve the ranking of their publications by adjusting titles, keywords and abstracts. Carefully considered wording makes publications easier to find and, ideally, cited more often. This article is meant to support authors in making their scholarly publications more visible. It provides basic information on ranking mechanisms as well as tips and tricks on how to improve the findability of scholarly publications while also pointing out the limits of optimization. This article, authored by three scholarly communications librarians, draws on their experience of hosting journals, providing workshops for researchers and individual publication support, as well as on their investigations of the ranking algorithms of search engines and databases.
{"title":"Increasing visibility and discoverability of scholarly publications with academic search engine optimization","authors":"Lisa Schilhan, Christian Kaier, Karin Lackner","doi":"10.1629/UKSG.534","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1629/UKSG.534","url":null,"abstract":"With the help of academic search engine optimization (ASEO), publications can more easily be found in academic search engines and databases. Authors can improve the ranking of their publications by adjusting titles, keywords and abstracts. Carefully considered wording makes publications easier to find and, ideally, cited more often. This article is meant to support authors in making their scholarly publications more visible. It provides basic information on ranking mechanisms as well as tips and tricks on how to improve the findability of scholarly publications while also pointing out the limits of optimization. This article, authored by three scholarly communications librarians, draws on their experience of hosting journals, providing workshops for researchers and individual publication support, as well as on their investigations of the ranking algorithms of search engines and databases.","PeriodicalId":44531,"journal":{"name":"Insights-The UKSG Journal","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2021-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73430444","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The 2020 Covid-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on Higher Education (HE) libraries, requiring them to rapidly overhaul their services and accelerating the shift to digital in a short space of time. One of the most significant challenges has been how to provide students and other library users with continued access to resources previously only available in print, when libraries have been closed or are operating with restrictions in place that limit access to the physical library space. This has led many libraries to increase investment in digital content to better support students in the current climate. This article shares the perspective from Edge Hill University in the UK and focuses on work undertaken by the library to implement university-wide e-textbook access for the first time. The article explores some of the barriers the library has faced sourcing textbooks and concludes by reflecting on how 2020 may shape the library’s purchasing strategies in a post-pandemic information landscape.
{"title":"Transforming library collections in a pandemic: the perspective from Edge Hill University","authors":"Anna França","doi":"10.1629/UKSG.536","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1629/UKSG.536","url":null,"abstract":"The 2020 Covid-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on Higher Education (HE) libraries, requiring them to rapidly overhaul their services and accelerating the shift to digital in a short space of time. One of the most significant challenges has been how to provide students and other library users with continued access to resources previously only available in print, when libraries have been closed or are operating with restrictions in place that limit access to the physical library space. This has led many libraries to increase investment in digital content to better support students in the current climate. This article shares the perspective from Edge Hill University in the UK and focuses on work undertaken by the library to implement university-wide e-textbook access for the first time. The article explores some of the barriers the library has faced sourcing textbooks and concludes by reflecting on how 2020 may shape the library’s purchasing strategies in a post-pandemic information landscape.","PeriodicalId":44531,"journal":{"name":"Insights-The UKSG Journal","volume":"34 1","pages":"1-6"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2021-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46102827","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Universities want a voluntary, non-exclusive licence from authors to disseminate publications. This practitioner case study explores an innovative model to communicate and advance open and equitable scholarship through the implementation of the Global University Publications Licence at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. This article explains the licensing policy and key influences, including, the copyright law of the People’s Republic of China and the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). The University approved the Global University Publications Licence, with implementation from 1 August 2019. It is available in Chinese and English. Since implementation, the University has retained rights for 74% of research publications submitted. 100% of those publications are available through the University with a CC-BY licence and zero embargo. The open scholarship model provides an equitable approach to versions and citation. The article concludes by suggesting university libraries can exploit copyright law in China to progress open scholarship strategies, including recognition of employers as authors of works, a priority right to the exploitation of works and an embargo protection of two years after the completion of the work. The author’s final version of publications can be open, discoverable, cited and preserved through trusted universities with global reputations for high-quality research.
{"title":"Implementing the Global University Publications Licence: a new open scholarship model for advocating change","authors":"Jiafeng Zhou, Kelly Wu, N. Smyth","doi":"10.1629/UKSG.531","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1629/UKSG.531","url":null,"abstract":"Universities want a voluntary, non-exclusive licence from authors to disseminate publications. This practitioner case study explores an innovative model to communicate and advance open and equitable scholarship through the implementation of the Global University Publications Licence at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. This article explains the licensing policy and key influences, including, the copyright law of the People’s Republic of China and the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). The University approved the Global University Publications Licence, with implementation from 1 August 2019. It is available in Chinese and English. Since implementation, the University has retained rights for 74% of research publications submitted. 100% of those publications are available through the University with a CC-BY licence and zero embargo. The open scholarship model provides an equitable approach to versions and citation. The article concludes by suggesting university libraries can exploit copyright law in China to progress open scholarship strategies, including recognition of employers as authors of works, a priority right to the exploitation of works and an embargo protection of two years after the completion of the work. The author’s final version of publications can be open, discoverable, cited and preserved through trusted universities with global reputations for high-quality research.","PeriodicalId":44531,"journal":{"name":"Insights-The UKSG Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2021-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44113179","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This article discusses the institutional spaces, both large and small, where academic libraries may become embedded in research-related activities throughout the university. It then goes on to consider some of the possible changes and outcomes as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. It outlines current research on opportunities for change in libraries, researcher demands, collaboration and the need for more research about working together. It concludes by suggesting that libraries and individuals should embrace principles of ‘planned happenstance’ so as to expand what may be possible with our new working spaces and realities.
{"title":"Every nook and cranny: making the library central to research and engagement","authors":"Katherine Stephan","doi":"10.1629/UKSG.528","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1629/UKSG.528","url":null,"abstract":"This article discusses the institutional spaces, both large and small, where academic libraries may become embedded in research-related activities throughout the university. It then goes on to consider some of the possible changes and outcomes as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. It outlines current research on opportunities for change in libraries, researcher demands, collaboration and the need for more research about working together. It concludes by suggesting that libraries and individuals should embrace principles of ‘planned happenstance’ so as to expand what may be possible with our new working spaces and realities.","PeriodicalId":44531,"journal":{"name":"Insights-The UKSG Journal","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2021-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75237288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In applied research disciplines like social work, the disconnect between the production and dissemination of research and the access and use of research in practice becomes very clear. This research/practice divide is particularly problematic for practitioners required to work within evidence-based or research-informed frameworks. To explore this issue, we conducted a nationwide survey and qualitative interviews with social work faculty regarding their research dissemination attitudes and practices, especially to non-academic audiences. The survey and interviews provide data on faculty dissemination methods; gold and green open access; and promotion and tenure considerations. Results demonstrate that faculty are primarily engaged with traditional dissemination methods, and much less engaged with dissemination to non-academic audiences. Faculty are skeptical of open access journals, avoid article processing charges, and are only minimally engaged with institutional repositories. Faculty are conflicted regarding the dissemination of applied research, especially in the context of promotion and tenure. Shifting dissemination to the field would require increased confidence in open access, support for the creation of practitioner focused materials, and reprioritizing impact of research in the field.
{"title":"Dissemination of Applied Research to the Field: Attitudes and Practices of Faculty Authors in Social Work","authors":"Kimberly Pendell, Ericka Kimball","doi":"10.1629/UKSG.546","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1629/UKSG.546","url":null,"abstract":"In applied research disciplines like social work, the disconnect between the production and dissemination of research and the access and use of research in practice becomes very clear. This research/practice divide is particularly problematic for practitioners required to work within evidence-based or research-informed frameworks. To explore this issue, we conducted a nationwide survey and qualitative interviews with social work faculty regarding their research dissemination attitudes and practices, especially to non-academic audiences. The survey and interviews provide data on faculty dissemination methods; gold and green open access; and promotion and tenure considerations. Results demonstrate that faculty are primarily engaged with traditional dissemination methods, and much less engaged with dissemination to non-academic audiences. Faculty are skeptical of open access journals, avoid article processing charges, and are only minimally engaged with institutional repositories. Faculty are conflicted regarding the dissemination of applied research, especially in the context of promotion and tenure. Shifting dissemination to the field would require increased confidence in open access, support for the creation of practitioner focused materials, and reprioritizing impact of research in the field.","PeriodicalId":44531,"journal":{"name":"Insights-The UKSG Journal","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2021-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74910724","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Liverpool University Press and the University of Liverpool Library collaborated to publish two open access monographs to gain insights into each other’s processes and requirements, and improve the guidance provided to researchers and authors. Lessons learned include researchers’ knowledge of publishing and open access, the monograph publishing process and costs involved, licences and third-party content and the marketing and discoverability of open monographs. Researchers, particularly those at the start of their career, may not have much knowledge and experience of publishing and so it is important for publishers to be as transparent as possible about the processes involved, and for libraries to ensure they are providing sufficient guidance. Knowledge about publishers’ processes and costs allows libraries to have a better understanding about what is reasonable to expect and for researchers to better plan costs for funding applications. Transparency from publishers about the types of costs involved, as well as a greater understanding of the financial requirements of libraries and their institutions, will allow publishers to plan their marketing of open monographs more effectively. The project demonstrated that collaboration between libraries and publishers can be extremely valuable and beneficial to both.
{"title":"Collaboration across campus: open monograph insights from a library and ‘old’ university press partnership","authors":"S. Barake, A. Welsby","doi":"10.1629/UKSG.533","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1629/UKSG.533","url":null,"abstract":"Liverpool University Press and the University of Liverpool Library collaborated to publish two open access monographs to gain insights into each other’s processes and requirements, and improve the guidance provided to researchers and authors. Lessons learned include researchers’ knowledge of publishing and open access, the monograph publishing process and costs involved, licences and third-party content and the marketing and discoverability of open monographs. Researchers, particularly those at the start of their career, may not have much knowledge and experience of publishing and so it is important for publishers to be as transparent as possible about the processes involved, and for libraries to ensure they are providing sufficient guidance. Knowledge about publishers’ processes and costs allows libraries to have a better understanding about what is reasonable to expect and for researchers to better plan costs for funding applications. Transparency from publishers about the types of costs involved, as well as a greater understanding of the financial requirements of libraries and their institutions, will allow publishers to plan their marketing of open monographs more effectively. The project demonstrated that collaboration between libraries and publishers can be extremely valuable and beneficial to both.","PeriodicalId":44531,"journal":{"name":"Insights-The UKSG Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2021-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48260343","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Discovery is the researcher’s dream. The dream of a straightforward search that allows information seekers to find the content they are looking for and, more importantly, relevant content they do not yet know about. Librarians, system vendors and content providers aim to materialize this dream of efficient and accurate discovery motivated by rationales that vary from the noble goals of knowledge creation and sharing to profit-driven commercial grounds.
{"title":"Discovery is the researcher’s dream","authors":"Magaly Bascones, Rebekah Cummings","doi":"10.1629/uksg.571","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1629/uksg.571","url":null,"abstract":"Discovery is the researcher’s dream. The dream of a straightforward search that allows information seekers to find the content they are looking for and, more importantly, relevant content they do not yet know about. Librarians, system vendors and content providers aim to materialize this dream of efficient and accurate discovery motivated by rationales that vary from the noble goals of knowledge creation and sharing to profit-driven commercial grounds.","PeriodicalId":44531,"journal":{"name":"Insights-The UKSG Journal","volume":"117 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77036946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
to inform publishers that the author accepted manuscript (AAM) will be made available under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence. The laudable stated aim of the RRS is to achieve immediate open access to research outputs, while preserving journal choice for authors. However, proponents of the RRS overlook the significant administrative and legal burdens that the RRS places on authors and readers. Even though compliance with existing green open access (self-archiving) policies is poor at best, the RRS is likely to rely on authors to successfully execute the CC licensing of their work in the face of publisher resistance. The complexity of copyright law and CC licensing gives many reasons to doubt the legal validity of an RRS licence grant, which creates legal risk for authors and their institutions. The complexity of RRS CC BY licensing also creates legal risk for readers, who may not be able to fully rely on the reuse rights of a CC BY licence on the AAM. However, cOAlition S has released no legal advice that explains why the RRS is valid and legally binding. Publishers of legacy subscription journals have already begun implementing strategies that ensure they can protect their revenue streams. These actions may leave authors having to choose between paying publication fees and complying with their funding agreements. The result is that the RRS increases the complexity of the copyright and licensing landscape in academic publishing, creates legal risk and may not avoid author fees. Unless increased complexity and conflict between authors and publishers drives open access, the RRS is not fit for its stated purpose as an open access strategy. The Plan S Rights Retention Strategy is an administrative and legal burden, not a sustainable open access solution
通知出版商,作者接受的手稿(AAM)将在知识共享署名(CC BY)许可下提供。RRS值得称赞的目标是实现对研究成果的即时开放获取,同时为作者保留期刊选择。然而,RRS的支持者忽视了RRS给作者和读者带来的重大行政和法律负担。尽管对现有的绿色开放获取(自存档)政策的遵从性很差,但RRS很可能依赖于作者在面对出版商的阻力时成功地执行其作品的CC许可。版权法和CC许可的复杂性使人们有很多理由怀疑RRS许可授予的法律有效性,这给作者及其机构带来了法律风险。RRS CC BY许可的复杂性也给读者带来了法律风险,他们可能无法完全依赖AAM上CC BY许可的重用权。然而,cOAlition S没有发布任何法律建议来解释为什么RRS是有效的和具有法律约束力的。传统订阅期刊的出版商已经开始实施策略,以确保他们能够保护自己的收入来源。这些行为可能会让作者不得不在支付出版费用和遵守资助协议之间做出选择。结果是,RRS增加了学术出版中版权和许可领域的复杂性,产生了法律风险,而且可能无法避免作者付费。除非增加复杂性和作者与出版商之间的冲突推动开放获取,否则RRS不适合其作为开放获取策略的既定目的。S计划的权利保留策略是一个行政和法律负担,而不是一个可持续的开放获取解决方案
{"title":"The Plan S Rights Retention Strategy is an administrative and legal burden, not a sustainable open access solution","authors":"S. Khoo","doi":"10.1629/uksg.556","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1629/uksg.556","url":null,"abstract":"to inform publishers that the author accepted manuscript (AAM) will be made available under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence. The laudable stated aim of the RRS is to achieve immediate open access to research outputs, while preserving journal choice for authors. However, proponents of the RRS overlook the significant administrative and legal burdens that the RRS places on authors and readers. Even though compliance with existing green open access (self-archiving) policies is poor at best, the RRS is likely to rely on authors to successfully execute the CC licensing of their work in the face of publisher resistance. The complexity of copyright law and CC licensing gives many reasons to doubt the legal validity of an RRS licence grant, which creates legal risk for authors and their institutions. The complexity of RRS CC BY licensing also creates legal risk for readers, who may not be able to fully rely on the reuse rights of a CC BY licence on the AAM. However, cOAlition S has released no legal advice that explains why the RRS is valid and legally binding. Publishers of legacy subscription journals have already begun implementing strategies that ensure they can protect their revenue streams. These actions may leave authors having to choose between paying publication fees and complying with their funding agreements. The result is that the RRS increases the complexity of the copyright and licensing landscape in academic publishing, creates legal risk and may not avoid author fees. Unless increased complexity and conflict between authors and publishers drives open access, the RRS is not fit for its stated purpose as an open access strategy. The Plan S Rights Retention Strategy is an administrative and legal burden, not a sustainable open access solution","PeriodicalId":44531,"journal":{"name":"Insights-The UKSG Journal","volume":"51 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81877155","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Longevity of print book use at a small public university: a 30-year longitudinal study","authors":"Melissa Belvadi","doi":"10.1629/uksg.562","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1629/uksg.562","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":44531,"journal":{"name":"Insights-The UKSG Journal","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83254461","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Electronic resource management in a post-Plan S world","authors":"Jill Emery, G. Stone","doi":"10.1629/uksg.554","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1629/uksg.554","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":44531,"journal":{"name":"Insights-The UKSG Journal","volume":"405 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89228746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}