Narrow Results

We aim to establish the relationship between the stakeholders who are part of the Open-Access Ecosystem (OAE). The study was developed from an ecosystem approach, analyzing the actors and their relationships. As a result, we proposed a simplified view of the main components of an OAE and the relationships between them, which could be useful for understanding the roles of the different stakeholders and the implications that current and new policies and mandates could have for them.

Authors submitting scientific articles to journals now have the option of publishing their articles open access. This entails paying the publisher a fee that will insure that readers can download a pdf of the article without charge from an internet site. This option is of relatively recent vintage and has become recently somewhat popular among authors who desire their articles to be widely read. The history of the emergence of such an option is reviewed and arguments are given for its being used.

We aim to establish the relationship between the stakeholders who are part of the Open-Access Ecosystem (OAE). The study was developed from an ecosystem approach, analyzing the actors and their relationships. As a result, we proposed a simplified view of the main components of an OAE and the relationships between them, which could be useful for understanding the roles of the different stakeholders and the implications that current and new policies and mandates could have for them.

Only science, technology and research would alleviate the intertwined social and economic challenges of developing nations such as Ethiopia. This study adopts a qualitative approach and uses the case study method. Fourteen researchers and librarians were interviewed in four organizations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This study reveals that the current scholarly communication system in Ethiopia is faced with technological and social challenges. Open access is undoubtedly a viable alternative to Ethiopia. It is viable because it has been proved so in many developing countries. Ethiopian universities and research institutions should adopt open access policies and strategies that would improve the access and dissemination of scientific research results. A concerted effort is required from administrators, librarians, researchers, funding agencies and government to implement and fully harness open access in Ethiopia.

Most Greek academic institutions have in our days implemented and put into productive operation depositories for the registration, promotion and preservation of scientific / intellectual work produced in them. Many of them also operate digital repositories that contain various cultural material. The vast majority of them make use of open source repository systems, and have adopted open access policies for the disposal of the contained material to the global public through the Internet. This paper surveys the current situation with respect to systems used, interoperability standards and policies adapted, with a view to the visibility of the contained material, examining if and how the need for making available Greek material to the general public is served by recent developments regarding IRs and open access in Greece.