Brock and Laurier University Libraries exploratory survey on Open Access publishing beliefs and practices. Presented at the Ontario Library Association Super Conference 2015, Toronto, ON.

1. Brock and Laurier University Libraries exploratory survey on
Open Access publishing beliefs and practices
Ontario Library Association Super Conference 2015
Session 1605
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
Faculty attitudes towards
Open Access Publishing

2. “It’s a bit like the Wild West out there”
1/30/2015
Ian Gibson, Barbara McDonald, Carol Stephenson, Elizabeth
Yates

3. 1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
The Good, the Bad &
The Ugly Uncertain
•Found researchers:
•Like the idea of openness
•But have lots of misconceptions about
OA and reluctant to embrace it

4. Today we will highlight:
•Disciplinary and institutional differences and
similarities in researchers’ attitudes towards Open
Access and their publishing practices
•Faculty members’ main priorities when selecting where
to publish
•Future directions for promoting scholarly
communication outreach and study
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES

5. Brock For Both Sides of the Brain
•Specializes in applied health sciences, business, chemistry,
education, oenology & viticulture, psychology, sport
management, arts and humanities, social sciences, sciences
•Focus on transdisciplinary community-based research,
experiential learning
•Pressured by fiscal constraints, program review, differentiation
•Brock celebrated 50 years in 2014
•18,688 students
•547 full time faculty, 18 Permanent Librarians + 1 LTA
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES

6. Laurier
Inspiring Lives of Leadership and Purpose
•Specializes in arts and social sciences, business and economics,
music, social work, science, education and theology
•Commitment to teaching, research and scholarship, strong
student focus
•Tremendous change – centennial in 2011, time of program
prioritization and fiscal constraints
•17,000 students
•510 full-time faculty, 360 part-time, 22 librarians
•locations in Waterloo, Kitchener, Brantford
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES

7. Survey hypotheses
1) Faculty participate at a minimal level in Open Access
publishing
2) Faculty have minimal knowledge about Open Access
3) Faculty have neutral or somewhat positive attitudes
about Open Access
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES

8. Survey definition of Open Access
•A journal which makes all of its content immediately available
for free to its readers
•Readers do not pay any subscriptions or other fees to access
any articles in an Open Access journal
•In today’s information ecosystem, Open Access journals
co-exist with traditional, subscription-based scholarly journals
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES

9. Survey design
•Current publishing practices – 3 questions
•Knowledge of Open Access publishing – 4 questions
•Attitudes to Open Access – 2 questions
•Demographics – 6 questions
•Comment options on most questions
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES

10. Survey delivery
Brock Laurier
• Personalized email to 547 faculty
• Survey ran for 4 weeks
March/April 2014
• March 25 initial email
• Two reminders
• Listserv emails to 510 full-time (FT)
and 360 part-time (PT) faculty
• Survey ran for 4 weeks
October/November 2014
• October 21 initial email
• Two reminders
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES

11. Survey response
Brock Laurier
• 239 responses
• 208 completed (38% response)
(didn’t ask about FT or PT)
• 116 added comments
• 158 responses
• 138 completed (115 FT, 19, PT, 4 not
identified) (22.5% FT response, 5.3%
PT response)
• 67 added comments
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES

12. What did we learn about hypothesis 1?
•Faculty participate at a minimal level in Open Access
One measure: have faculty published in an
Open Access journal?
Across Laurier & Brock, @ 40%
Significant rank and disciplinary differences
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES

13. Have faculty published in an OA journal?
Brock Laurier
• 41% have published in an OA journal
• 51% have NOT published in an OA
journal
• 8% are not sure
• 45% have published in an OA journal
• 48% have NOT published in an OA
journal
• 7% are not sure
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES

14. How did Open Access publishing vary by rank?
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
11
50
24
14
49
34
4
6 6
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Assistant Professor
(n=29)
Associate Professor
(n=105)
Full Professor (n=64)
Brock faculty who have published in an OA journal by
rank
yes no uncertain
12 17
19
16
20
13
1
5
1
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Assistant Professor
(n=29)
Associate Professor
(n=42)
Full Professor (n=33)
Laurier Faculty who have published
in an OA journal by rank
yes no uncertain

15. How did Open Access publishing vary by discipline?
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
23
7
14
8
33
17
18
15
16
36
3 3 3 3 5
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Arts &
Humanities
(n=43)
Business
(n=28)
Health
Science
(n=32)
Science
(n=27)
Social
Science
(n=74)
Brock faculty who have published in an OA journal by
discipline
yes no uncertain
8 3
5
11 24
17
9
2
12
23
3 5
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Arts &
Humanities
(n=28)
Business
(n=12)
Health
Science
(n=7)
Science
(n=23)
Social
Science
(n=52)
Laurier faculty who have published in an OA journal
by discipline
yes no uncertain

16. What did we learn about hypothesis 2?
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
Faculty have minimal knowledge about Open Access
◦Measured by:
◦Peer review & OA
While peer review is the most important factor in
deciding where to publish, there is uncertainty about
the consistency of peer review in Open Access

17. What factors are most important in deciding
where to publish?
Brock Laurier
1. Journal is peer-reviewed (41% selected as
most important factor)
2. Journal prestige within my discipline
3. Impact Factor
4. Quality of editor/editorial board
5. Articles available to the general public
6. Impact on promotion / tenure process
7. Work is more likely to be cited
8. Speed of review process
1. Journal is peer-reviewed (66% selected as
most important factor)
2. Journal prestige within my discipline
3. Impact Factor
4. Impact on promotion / tenure process
5. Work is more likely to be cited
6. Speed of review process
7. Articles available to the general public
8. Quality of editor/editorial board
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES

18. 1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
“If the journal is not peer reviewed I would
not consider it to be a ‘real’ journal, and I
expect that my colleagues would agree.”
-- Laurier faculty

19. What is their understanding of
peer review in OA?
Brock Laurier
• 10% believe OA journals are always
peer-reviewed
• 70% believe OA journals are
sometimes or often peer-reviewed
• 20% are unsure
• 12% of OA journals are always peer-
reviewed
• 78% of OA journals are sometimes
or often peer-reviewed
• 10% are unsure
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES

20. How did OA peer-review responses vary by rank?
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Assistant Professor
(n=29)
Associate Professor
(n=42)
Full Professor (n=33)
Laurier Faculty
Peer review most important publishing factor
OA always peer reviewed
OA often or sometimes peer reviewed
OA never peer reviewed or unsure
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Assistant Professor
(n=29)
Associate Professor
(n=105)
Full Professor (n=62)
Brock Faculty
Peer review most important publishing factor
OA always peer reviewed
OA peer reviewed often or sometimes
OA peer reviewed unsure

21. How did OA peer-review responses vary
by discipline?
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Arts &
Humanities
(n=28)
Business
(n=12)
Health
Science (n=7)
Science
(n=23)
Social Science
(n=52)
Laurier Faculty
Peer review most important publishing factor
OA always peer reviewed
OA peer reviewed sometimes or often
OA peer reviewed never or unsure
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Arts &
Humanities
(n=43)
Business
(n=28)
Health
Science
(n=33)
Science
(n=27)
Social Science
(n=74)
Brock Faculty
Peer review most important publishing factor
OA always peer reviewed
OA peer reviewed often or sometimes
OA peer reviewed unsure

22. What we learned about hypothesis 2:
OA & P&T
•Faculty have minimal knowledge about Open Access
Are Open Access Journals valued for
promotion/tenure? Lots of conflicting opinions
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES

23. Can Open Access journals count towards
tenure / promotion?
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
View Brock Laurier
Always counts towards
tenure/promotion
21% 23%
Often or sometimes can count
towards tenure/promotion
44% 46%
Never count towards
tenure/promotion or unsure
35% 31%

24. Do current tenure/promotion standards
support Open Access publishing?
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
View Brock Laurier
Current standards discourage 18% 24%
Neutral 45% 41%
Current standards do not
discourage
34% 24%

25. 1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
“When I see many publications in CVs that are
for unrecognized open access journals, I take it
as a sign of a failing career.”
-- Brock faculty
Sample of the promotion/tenure discussion

26. 1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
“Until criteria for tenure and promotion change,
faculty must be very careful and strategic if they are
to publish in open access journal … early career
researchers, [who] might find their work in open
access journals held against them. I would advise non-
tenured faculty against it.”
-- Laurier faculty

27. 1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
“I believe the perception of Open Access journals as
lesser in quality and lower in standards is a major
problem for early-career researchers … the pressure
to publish in ‘the top journals’ for tenure, combined
with the exorbitant fees for Open Access charged by
established publishers … ”
-- Laurier faculty

28. 1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
“I think OA is an exciting prospect .... At present, in
my experience, OA lets especially junior scholars
quickly push their work out to a wide audience.”
-- Brock faculty

29. What we learned about hypothesis 3
•Faculty have neutral or somewhat positive attitudes
about Open Access
There is some interest in Open Access publishing,
but cost and quality are major concerns
Interest is matched by uncertainty
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES

30. Do faculty plan on publishing in an OA
journal?
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
Timeline Brock Laurier
Next 6 months 17% 18%
Next 12 months 11% 13%
Next 1 to 5 years 16% 18%
Never 6% 7%
Uncertain 51% 45%

31. How did OA publishing plans vary by rank?
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
3
20 9
8
24
17
18 60 38
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Assistant Professor
(n=29)
Associate Professor
(n=104)
Full Professor (n=64)
Timeframe of Brock faculty who plan to publish an OA
journal by rank
within 1 to 5 years within 1 year never or uncertain
6 8
4
11
10
8
12
24
21
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Assistant Professor
(n=29)
Associate Professor
(n=42)
Full Professor (n=33)
Timeframe of faculty who plan to publish an OA journal by
rank
within 1 to 5 years within a year never or uncertain

32. How did OA publishing plans vary by discipline?
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
8
4 3
17
10
3
10 8
23
24
25
19 16
33
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Arts &
Humanities
(n=42)
Business
(n=28)
Health
Science
(n=33)
Science
(n=27)
Social
Science
(n=73)
Timeframe of Brock faculty who plan to publish in an OA
journal by discipline
% within 1 to 5 years % within a year
% never or uncertain
6
1
5 10
4
2
5
4
21
18
9
2
14
21
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Arts &
Humanities
(n=28)
Business
(n=12)
Health
Science
(n=7)
Science
(n=23)
Social
Science
(n=52)
Timeframe of Laurier faculty who plan to publish
in an OA journal by discipline
within 1 to 5 years within a year never or uncertain

33. 1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
OPEN ACCESS
Are OA journals similar in quality to
subscription journals?
Brock Laurier
45% of similar or
higher quality
55% of lower
quality
56% of similar or
higher quality
44% of lower
quality
“YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY
FOR”…TAKING ON
SUBSCRIPTION JOURNALS
The uncertainty of quality

34. 1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
“…the pure so-called open access journals are
actually just predatory businesses that do not
offer proper peer review or other forms of
quality control. We should have nothing to do
with such journals.” -- Brock faculty
Wrangling the quality impediment

35. The uncertainty of costs
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
75% of Laurier faculty and
77% of Brock faculty
do not want to use their
grant money to publish in an
OA journal

36. 1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
“publishing in open access journals usually
requires a fairly steep payment (in my field,
$2000 is not uncommon)….So even though I
despise the Elsevier-type journals, I can't afford
to publish open access”
-- Laurier faculty
Wrangling the cost impediment

37. 1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
LIBRARIAN’S
Lessons Learned
and Next Steps

38. “Survey lessons” so far from the process
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
Brock Laurier
• Personal email invitations seem
associated with higher response
rate
• Individual emails start conversations
• Be selective when choosing a survey
tool:
o features – question type,
dissemination, analysis; good
customer support
• General emails have impact on the
day they are sent
• Librarians need more support to feel
confident talking about OA
• Part-time faculty low response
needs to be addressed in future
communications

39. “Library lessons” so far from the results
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
Brock Laurier
Supporting Open Access costs is a
key concern
Lots of basic education needed
about Open Access > building
political alliances will be key
Much more for us to learn about:
• Conducting research
• Faculty publishing practices
Supporting Open Access costs is a
key concern
More information is needed about
• Quality Open Access journal
options
• Copyright and author rights
advocacy

40. Next steps
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES
•Continuing survey analysis > statistical analysis
•Publication
•Developing OA outreach strategies based on survey
results e.g.
•Strategies for selecting a (OA) journal
•Predatory publishing
•“Free” venues for Open Access

41. Thank-you. Questions?
Brock contact Laurier contact
Elizabeth Yates
eyates@brocku.ca
Ian Gibson
igibson@brocku.ca
Carol Stephenson
cstephenson@wlu.ca
1/30/2015 IAN GIBSON, BARBARA MCDONALD, CAROL STEPHENSON, ELIZABETH YATES