Exploring open access among faculty in Library and Information Science/Studies schools

What is it about?

This article presents results from a survey of faculty in North American Library and Information Studies (LIS) schools about their attitudes toward and experience with open-access publishing. This is a follow-up to a similar survey conducted in 2013 and so the article also outlines the differences that have occurred between 2013 and 2018.

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Photo by Khachik Simonian on Unsplash

Photo by Khachik Simonian on Unsplash

Why is it important?

There is not a lot of research specific to LIS faculty and this is the first study to track changes in attitudes toward and engagement with open access among LIS faculty. For example, engagement with open access has increased significantly while perceptions of open access have remained relatively stable between 2013 and 2018. Although faculty in LIS schools are proponents of free access to research, like their colleagues in most other disciplines, journal publication choices remain informed by traditional considerations such as prestige and impact factor.