Open access publishing is an initiative that aims to provide universal, unrestricted free access to full-text scholarly materials via the Internet. This presents a radically different approach to the dissemination of research articles that has traditionally been controlled by the publishing enterprise that regulates access by means of subscriptions and licences fees levied on users, predominantly academic libraries. In presenting the case for open access publishing, the thesis explored the contemporary research environment, changing modes of knowledge production, the problems associated with the existing academic journal system, and the subsequent growth of the open access movement as an intervention to reclaim scientific communication. It highlighted the ways in which open access better answers the requirements of researchers, funders, governments, and society more broadly.

Open access publishing is an initiative that aims to provide universal, unrestricted free access to full-text scholarly materials via the Internet. This presents a radically different approach to the dissemination of research articles that has traditionally been controlled by the publishing enterprise that regulates access by means of subscriptions and licences fees levied on users, predominantly academic libraries. In presenting the case for open access publishing, the thesis explored the contemporary research environment, changing modes of knowledge production, the problems associated with the existing academic journal system, and the subsequent growth of the open access movement as an intervention to reclaim scientific communication. It highlighted the ways in which open access better answers the requirements of researchers, funders, governments, and society more broadly.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Washington State University, May 2010. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on July 16, 2010). "Department of English." Includes bibliographical references (p. 117-122).

Magister Bibliothecologiae - MBibl / Open access publishing is an initiative that aims to provide universal, unrestricted free access to full-text scholarly materials via the Internet. This presents a radically different approach to the dissemination of research articles that has traditionally been controlled by the publishing enterprise that regulates access by means of subscriptions and licences fees levied on users, predominantly academic libraries. In presenting the case for open access publishing, the thesis explored the contemporary research environment, changing modes of knowledge production, the problems associated with the existing academic journal system, and the subsequent growth of the open access movement as an intervention to reclaim scientific communication. It highlighted the ways in which open access better answers the requirements of researchers, funders, governments, and society more broadly. / South Africa

M. Inf. / It has become increasingly difficult for end-users to locate, select and organise information published via the World Wide Web. This is largely due to the scattered nature of the Web and its ever-increasing use as publishing infrastructure. More scholarly information is also being published in multimedia format through the Web. Throughout the years, current awareness services and later Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) have provided the means for scholars to keep abreast of the literature in print sources. Today such information is also published via the Web, hence scholars need to have a mechanism to keep abreast of the information published in digital format. Research was conducted to investigate guidelines scholars could use to stay abreast of new Web content. The investigation employed both a literature survey and an empirical method of collecting research data. The literature survey was conducted to establish trends in current awareness services and SDI, the use of the Web for disseminating and retrieving digital information, the impact of the Web on the scholarly communication process and current methods for keeping up to date with Web content. Empirical research in the form of structured interviews was executed to establish the needs of scholars regarding the spectrum of current awareness services that provide Web-based sources. The findings obtained from structured interviews and by means of the literature survey were used to develop a set of guidelines scholars could use to stay abreast of information published via the Web.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South African science shows a decline in its global competitiveness in that its scholarly publication rate has not kept pace with that of other countries, both developed and developing. This, together with a decline in publication rate especially among junior South African scholars, suggests a structural problem in the South African national system of innovation. A declining publication rate indicates a problem of knowledge diffusion for South Africa, and hints at a possible knowledge generation problem. This assignment limits itself to the dynamics of knowledge diffusion with specific reference to Open Access scholarly communication. Open Access scholarly communication is an overt intervention regarding knowledge diffusion. The marginalisation of science in and of developing countries, leading to a state of knowledge imperialism and knowledge dependence, is addressed, and it is argued that knowledge diffusion and generation are at the heart of longterm economic growth. This assignment has been structured around two core sections, a theoretical framework based in the literature, and empirical study. The central concepts of scholarly communication and Open Access, national information policy (NIP), and national system of innovation (NSI) are elaborated upon in the theoretical framework (Chapters 2 and 3). The empirical part of this study (Chapters 4 and 5) in turn consist of two parts. Both parts used the survey method, however the first part made use of a questionnaire instrument, and the second part made use of a structured record review. Both empirical studies were used to assess levels of activity and extent of adoption of Open Access within a defined South African scholarly community, one discipline-based, the other institution-based. The aims of this study were two-fold: to assess levels of awareness of and investment in Open Access modes of scholarly communication within defined scholarly communities; and to create a benchmark document of South Africa's involvement to date in various Open Access initiatives. The argument is made for the openness of scholarly systems, and furthermore that the disparate and uncoordinated nature of Open Access in South Africa needs a policy intervention. The policy intervention so identified would exist within an enabling policy environment and would be minimally disruptive to the South African science system. Said policy intervention would constitute a National Information Policy since it would address the storage, dissemination, and retrieval of scholarly research output. This assignment recommends the amendment of the current statutory reporting mechanism - used by scholars to report and obtain publication rate subsidies - which would require that scholars make their research available via an Open Access mode of scholarly communication, and moreover, would require scholars to report on having done so. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die wetenskap as praktyk in Suid-Afrika toon 'n afname in internasionale mededingendheid. Laasgenoemde is sigbaar in die tempo waarteen Suid-Afrikaanse vakpublikasies nie tred hou met dié van ander nasies nie, beide ontwikkelde en ontwikkelende lande. Hierdie afname, gepaardgaande met 'n afname in publikasiegetalle van veral junior navorsers, sou kon dui op 'n strukturele probleem in Suid-Afrika se nasionale innovasiestelsel. 'n Afname in die vakpublikasietempo dui daarop dat Suid Afrika 'n probleem het ten opsigte van die distribusie van kennis. Hierdie werkstuk is beperk tot die dinamiek van kennisdistribusie met spesifieke verwysing na 'Open Access' wetenskaplike kommunikasie. 'Open Access' wetenskaplike kommunikasie is 'n eksplisiete intervensie gemik op kennisdistribusie. Wetenskap binne en vanuit ontwikkelende lande word al hoe meer onbelangrik geag en kennis-imperialisme and kennis-afhanklikheid neem toe. Aan hierdie laasgenoemde aspekte word ook aandag geskenk. 'n Deel van die argument wat geopper word is dat kennisdistribusie en kennis-generering kern aspekte van langtermyn ekonomiese groei is. Hierdie werkstuk bestaan uit twee kern afdelings: 'n teoretiese raamwerk gebaseer op 'n literatuuroorsig, en 'n empiriese studie. Die sentrale konsepte van wetenskaplike kommunikasie en 'Open Access', nasionale inligtingsbeleid, en nasionale innovasiestelsels word beskryf in die teoretiese raamwerk (Hoofstukke 2 en 3). Die empiriese deel van hierdie studie (Hoofstukke 4 en 5) bestaan uit twee dele. Beide laasgenoemde dele maak gebruik van 'n opname as metodiek, maar die eerste deel het gebruik gemaak van 'n vraelys, en die tweede deel het gebruik gemaak van gestruktureerde studie van rekords (in die vorm van Webtuistes). Albei empiriese studies was gebruik om die vlak en mate van aktiwiteit rondom 'Open Access' binne 'n beperkte Suid-Afrikaanse wetenskaplike gemeenskap vas te stel. Hierdie gemeenskappe is gedefinieer óf volgens dissipline óf volgens instansie. Die doel van hierdie werkstuk was veelvoudig: om die vlak van kennis van en betrokkenheid by 'Open Access' inisiatiewe vas te stel binne Suid-Afrika; sowel as om 'n basis-dokument te skep insake Suid-Afrika se betrokkenheid tot op hede by verskeie 'Open Access' inisiatiewe. Die argument vir 'n oop wetenskaplike stelsel word gestel. Verder word geargumenteer dat die lukrake en ongekoordineerde manier waarop 'Open Access' tot dusver in Suid-Afrika bevorder is, daarop dui dat 'n intervensie op die vlak van beleid benodig word. Laasgenoemde beleid sou binne die bestaande beleidsomgewing geformuleer word, en sou relatief min ontwrigting meebring in die huidige Suid-Afrikaanse navorsingsopset. Die spesifieke beleid wat ter sprake is, is die nasionale inligtingsbeleid aangesien dit regulasies daarstel ten opsigte van die berging, distribusie, en herwinning van navorsingsuitsette. Hierdie werkstuk stel voor 'n verandering van die huidige statutêre verslagdoeningsmeganisme - wat gebruik word deur wetenskaplikes om verslag te doen oor hul gepubliseerde navorsing om navorsingsubsidie te kry - wat sou vereis dat wetenskaplikes hul navorsingsuitsette beskikbaar stel via 'n 'Open Access' kanaal, en verder, dat navorsers verslag doen oor laasgenoemde.

Thesis (M. Bus.)--University of Technology, Sydney, 2003. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on July 25, 2005). Includes bibliographical references (p. 50-56).