March for open access

The University of St Andrews has received funding from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to help with the transition to open access. During March 2013 funds will be available to cover 'Gold' open access costs, and to support 'Green' open access options.

To claim Article Processing Charges (APCs) from this 'BIS OA fund', or to find out how to make your article open access by depositing into our repository Research@StAndrews:FullText, contact open-access-support

See more information on our Library web pages on open access, including:

• Research funders: open access policies
• Open access FAQ
• Open access definitions (including 'green' and 'gold')

Proposals for post-2014 REF open access

The UK funding councils have issued proposals for open access to research outputs in the next Research Exellence Framework after 2014. The proposals recognise "the significant role of institutional repositories in increasing sustainable and convenient public access to research" and do not express a preference for 'gold' or 'green' routes. The proposals also cover funding body expectations, embargo periods, monograph publication and principles of open data.

Times Higher Education article: Funding councils publish REF open-access proposals

HEFCE's letter outlining these proposals (pdf)

HEFCE invites advice and feedback in a consultation process to run until 25 March 2013.

Landmark US directive on open access

On Friday 22 Feb 2013 the White House issued a directive which requires federal agencies with annual research and development budgets of $100 million or more to provide free online access to the results of that research, within a year of publication. It has been described as a watershed moment by Heather Joseph, Executive Director of SPARC and follows closely on the introduction of a new open access bill to the US Congress: Fair Access to Science and Technology Research Act (FASTR).

These two important developments have been praised by open access advocates such as SPARC, Creative Commons and the Association of Research Libraries, and are compared here by Peter Suber. While the directive and FASTR differ on proposed embargo lengths, they both recommend deposit in a repository as the route to open access, rather than the 'Gold' route (publication in OA journals) favoured by the UK government.

The announcement and policy are available from the Obama Office of Science and Technology Policy.

The directive comes after years of campaigning for open access, and a We the People petition 'Require free access over the Internet to scientific journal articles arising from taxpayer-funded research' which received over 65000 signatures and this official response.

Ethnographic Encounters latest open access articles

We are pleased to announce that the open access journal Ethnographic Encounters, hosted by the University of St Andrews Library Journal Hosting Service, has released its latest issue. Now in its third volume, this journal has been developed by a team of enthusiastic and talented student Editors under the leadership of Dr Craig Lind.

Ethnographic Encounters is a platform for the work of the University of St Andrews undergraduate Social Anthropology students. The e-journal presents a valuable resource for future students to draw on the experience and insights of their predecessors, and offers a means for Social Anthropology students throughout the world to engage with their peers in St Andrews.

Congratulations to outgoing Editor Francesca Vaghi as she hands on the reins to a new Editorial Team.