Brock University’s Open Access lauded for promoting transparency
A leader in open access policy, Brock is the only university showcased as part of the Information and Privacy Commission of Ontario’s (IPC) Transparency Challenge.
Launched May 11, the IPC Transparency Showcase is a virtual exhibit of 17 innovative and impactful transparency projects by Ontario’s public institutions that improve government transparency or use open data to improve the lives of Ontarians.
IPC Transparency Showcase website describes Brock’s Open Access Policy as an example of how organizations can promote transparency by making research more accessible.
Open access at Brock is understood “as ensuring research outputs are made available openly to anyone with an internet connection,” says Elizabeth Yates, Research and Scholarly Communication Librarian with the James A. Gibson Library.
Traditionally, the bulk of scholarly research has been published in journals that can often only be accessed through a subscription. However, since Brock’s Open Access Policy was approved by Senate in 2020, University leadership and the Library have devoted resources and staffing to make research produced at Brock available to anyone.
“Brock is one of about a dozen post-secondary institutions in Canada to prioritize open access policy,” says Yates. “Our open access policy means Ontarians can learn about new topics or take a deeper dive into subjects they’re already familiar with. Further, research results which are made open access can be incorporated into programming, policies, health-care procedures, legislation and other areas which can impact the daily lives of Canadians.”
Brock’s Archives and Special Collections also received acknowledgement from the IPC under the Notable Submissions category for its publicly available, diverse collection of archival material assembled over more than 50 years.
“Brock welcomed the opportunity to respond to the IPC’s call for public institutions to share innovative projects that use open data to improve the lives of Ontarians,” says Nicole Nolan, Interim University Librarian. “We are pleased that both of Brock’s submissions received public recognition.”
There are several different ways for researchers to make their findings available through open access. More information can be found on the Brock Library Open Access web page along with additional information on supports and strategies.