From compliance to culture: How can we address the barriers that are preventing a culture of Open Research in relation to Open Monographs?

Abstract

With the introduction of UKRIs new policy on the 1st of January 2024 and the possibility of Open Access Monographs being mandated by REF2029, there is an increasing focus within the scholarly communications sector on Open Access Book publishing. Whilst the introduction of these policies will mean in scope researchers must publish their monograph outputs Open Access to be compliant, this focus represents an opportunity to facilitate a culture change in which Open Access Monograph publishing is the norm, rather than enacted to comply with funder mandates.   

However, several barriers are preventing this culture change, including financial barriers, concerns and misconceptions relating to the prestige and academic quality of Open Access Book publishers, and a lack of awareness of open access book publishing routes within the researcher community. This lightning talk will discuss the approach taken by Lancaster University Library to identify the barriers preventing a culture of Open Monographs within the institution and the approach and activities undertaken to address this. This will include initiatives to explore the lived experience of Lancaster University's researcher community and projects to provide opportunities for authors to publish Open Access Monographs. The talk shared concrete steps to facilitating a culture shift to develop an environment where Open Access Monograph publishing is a normative practice rather than a mandate to comply with.