Want to learn more about open access publishing? Now is the time. October 20–26 is Open Access Week (OAW), during which seminars will be conducted all over the world on the subject of open access publishing. What can you learn? I signed onto the Open Access Directory’s events list to find out.
Universities
Scores, if not hundreds, of universities offer a variety of free seminars during OAW. For example, at Ohio State University you can learn about the following:
- How to disseminate your work online
- Creating a website or blog to showcase your research
- Options for publishing digital content at the university
The University of Central Florida offers an all-day seminar with speakers from IEEE, Springer, Gale, and Taylor & Francis giving their perspective on open access publishing. Other topics include blogging and tweeting your open access work; lost data, the specter of the information age; and open access and scholarship in Africa.
Auckland University of Technology hosts seminars on October 21–23 on the subject of the basics of OA publishing, its pros and cons, and how to make use of the options available.
Online Seminars
Not all seminars are on campus. Some are conducted online and are open to all. For example, Victoria University in Australia offers a lunchtime webinar on October 23 on open access publishing models, hybrid models, and open monographs.
Other Resources
Browsing through the open access week offerings can turn up other useful information. Impactstory offers customized OAW presentations on these topics: How to get credit for practicing open science, Altmetrics 101, Why Open Research is critical to your career. “Private screenings” may also be arranged by contacting the organizer. For a university with many parties interested in open access publishing, this would be a fine option. Besides the Open Access Directory’s lists, skim through the Open Access Week website at http://www.openaccessweek.org/ to find out what resources might be available.
Inspiration For the Future
Does your university offer seminars during OAW? If not, scanning through the resources above should give you plenty of ideas on how you might sponsor a seminar next year. Whether lunch-hour session, all-day seminar, or online program, there is sure to be a way to spread the word about the possibilities of open access publishing.
