Huddersfield Open Access Publishing

This paper presents the findings of the Huddersfield Open Access Publishing Project, a JISC funded project to develop a low cost, sustainable Open Access (OA) journal publishing platform using EPrints Institutional Repository software

Huddersfield Open Access Publishing (HOAP) Project

The JISC funded Huddersfield Open Access Publishing (HOAP) Project aimed to develop a low cost sustainable Open Access (OA) journal publishing platform using EPrints Institutional Repository software. This poster will report on the development of the HOAP platform and discuss the outcomes of the project. The platform was developed to convert the peer reviewed, Teaching in Lifelong Learning journal, from its existing print subscription model to an OA e-journal. A specific front end was created for the journal, with content being archived in the University Repository. As part of this work, there has been a re-write of the notes for contributors section and a move from copyright transfer to a licence to publish model. HOAP is now a member of CrossRef and the Committee on Publishing Ethics, the journal has also been submitted to the Directory of Open Access Journals. The platform will also be used to launch a new title, Huddersfield Research Review during 2012. This title will showcase the most significant research at the University of Huddersfield by including interviews with the authors of the most cited and/or downloaded articles in the Repository together with an editorial overview by a senior researcher who will locate Huddersfield research within the broader national and international literature in the relevant fields and disciplines. An audit of the University’s journals resulted in the addition of another title during the project and also the potential for five others to be hosted, including two new peer-reviewed OA titles in 2012. In order to disseminate its output, the project developed a toolkit for other institutions, including new workflows, a licence to publish template and guidelines for new title proposals. The project hopes the toolkit will inspire other institutions to investigate OA journal publishing. A major output of HOAP for Huddersfield has been a fundamental change in the understanding of the utility of Institutional Repositories in which ‘innovation’ and ‘impact’ displace ‘management’ and ‘preservation” as the primary functions. The HOAP platform provides not only an interface through which both original and archived peer-reviewed content can be delivered in a sustainable OA format but also a means of delivering specialist content to specific academic audiences through a traditional journal front-end. The poster will share the recommendations for further developments at Huddersfield and implications for the wider community

Sustaining the growth of library scholarly publishing in a New University Press

In 2012, the University of Huddersfield Press presented a paper at the 16th International Conference on Electronic Publishing on its new open access journals platform. At the time, the Press was one of the only New University Presses (NUP) in the UK and one of the first to publish open access journals, open access monographs and sound recordings. This article discusses a number of emerging business models for NUPs before developing Hahn’s programme and publication level business plan, which is then related to the sustainability of the Press at Huddersfield. The article will demonstrate how the Press is able to show value to the University in order to secure funding. The paper will conclude with a discussion around the need for collaboration between library-led NUPs. Although this paper concentrates on the experiences of the University of Huddersfield Press, it will be relevant to other emerging or planned NUPs

Sustaining the growth of library scholarly publishing

In 2012, the University of Huddersfield Press presented a paper at the 16th International Conference on Electronic Publishing on its new open access journals platform. At the time, the Press was one of the only New University Presses (NUP) in the UK and one of the first to publish open access journals, open access monographs and sound recordings. This paper will develop Hahn’s programme and publication level business plan and relate this to the sustainability of the Press. It will demonstrate how the Press has been able to show value to the University in order to secure funding. The paper will conclude with a discussion around the need for collaboration between library led NUPs

Communicating the open access policy landscape

The HHuLOA (Hull, Huddersfield, Lincoln Open Access) project is a two-year Jisc funded project, which seeks to identify how open access support mechanisms can be used to assist with the development of research. One such area is policy landscape, which has shifted dramatically in the past two years. Many academic staff have been left confused, frustrated and stressed by new obligations placed upon long-established publishing practices and by the way in which these changes have been communicated. This paper describes the project’s initial work undertaken in this area, with the aim of enabling academic audiences to better navigate the policy environment they find themselves in to comply and better understand the rights they have when using open access

Developing a Sustainable Publishing Model for a University Press: A Case Study of the University of Huddersfield, 2011-2015

The University of Huddersfield Press, re-launched in 2010, is an open access publisher of peer reviewed journals, monographs and sound recordings. The research to inform this thesis was conducted between 2011 and 2015. The primary research question of this thesis and accompanying business plan is to demonstrate how the University of Huddersfield Press can establish a viable and innovative business model. Subsidiary research questions are to establish how the output of the Press will contribute to and enhance the University’s strategic objectives and to indicate how the Press, as an open access publisher, can contribute to the world of scholarly communication by increasing the literature on New University Presses. As such, a number of chapters have been published as journal articles. The thesis introduces the University of Huddersfield Press before setting out the motivation, background and focus of the study. The rise of New University Presses (NUPs), the open access movement, the role of the repository and the library as publisher are examined and placed in context to the Press. The four cases studies included in this thesis are not multiple case studies, rather they are embedded units of analysis in a single practice based case study, which allows the reader to follow a number of different reading paths. The case studies use observation, in depth investigations and a personal account of the author’s work in developing the Press, which will give new insight into open access publishing by NUPs. The first case study presents data and findings regarding the Press monograph publishing imitative. It draws on external literature and reflections of experience of the Press in order to derive lessons for best practice on future management of the Press. The second case study takes an in depth look at journal publishing within the Press. It looks at how the Huddersfield Open Access Publishing (HOAP) Project was used to launch a number of successful journals using the institutional repository and has helped to build the reputation of the Press in the University and wider community. Lessons learned are examined in order to recommend a more sustainable future for the Press. The third case study involves one of the journals to be published by the Press, Fields: journal of Huddersfield student research. It outlines the rationale for Fields in an institutional context, including the process of setting up an online, open access, multidisciplinary journal for student research. Year one of the project, which saw the journal go from proposal to fully fledged publication, is analysed and lessons learned are discussed. The final case study investigates Huddersfield Contemporary Records (HCR) and presents a case study of music publishing within the University. This case study stands independently and therefore begins with a review of the literature specifically on music industry issues pertinent to HCR. The case study includes a suggested business model and workflow for future releases. The thesis analyses the results and findings from the case studies in order to suggest a viable and innovative business model for the Press. This addresses questions of sustainability, arising from the case studies. The thesis develops Hahn’s programme and publication level business planning in library publishing before providing evidence of the reputational value of the Press to the University of Huddersfield. This is practically demonstrated in the Business Plan, which outlines the future for the Press for the next five years. The accompanying business plan will help to shape future thinking regarding this form of publishing

Embracing open access publishing for academic staff and student research

We address some key issues around OA publishing for universities: What does Open Access mean? How and why is the University of Huddersfield Press involved? What part does digital transformation play? How does all this impact on the scholarly community

Publishing undergraduate research: linking teaching and research through a dedicated peer reviewed open access journal

In 2015, the University of Huddersfield Press launched Fields: the journal of Huddersfield student research. The journal was developed with two key purposes: ensuring that high quality student research was made available to a broader audience and inspiring students to work to the highest standards by considering the potential of their work for impact in the wider world. The existing literature is reviewed regarding the growth of student research journals, as well as some of the benefits these journals can offer to students. The institutional rationale for Fields is outlined and the process of setting up a multidisciplinary open access student research journal is discussed. The outcomes of an evaluation are presented with particular focus to lessons learned and future developments to improve support for authors. The experience of the project team will be useful to universities and university presses considering strategies for supporting students to develop research for publication/dissemination

Taking the plunge

Megan Beech and Graham Stone, University of Huddersfield, explain the launch of 'Fields', a new taught-student research journal, and talk about how and why it was decided to take the plunge

The benefits of resource discovery for publishers: a librarian’s view

A core goal of librarians is to maximize usage of the content to which their libraries subscribe. Webscale or resource discovery systems offer a single search box for library users to access subscribed content. This article examines usage data at the University of Huddersfield to show how resource discovery has helped to increase the usage of publisher content, which has been made available to discovery vendors and considers the implications for publishers who are yet to do this. The article concludes that resource discovery systems have effectively levelled the playing field, allowing small to medium sized publishers to make content discoverable to users, and encourages publishers who do not have their content indexed in resource discovery systems to speak to discovery service vendor in order to do so at the earliest opportunity