“Generation Open” theme highlights involvement of students and early career researchers

Open Access Week, a global event now entering its eighth year, has announced this year’s new theme, which will be "Generation Open".

Open Access Week is organized by the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) with advice from programme advisors. EIFL-OA Programme Manager Iryna Kuchma is a member of Open Access Week programme committee.

SPARC explained in a recent press release that the theme will highlight the importance of students and early career researchers as advocates for change in the short-term, through institutional and governmental policy, and as the future of the Academy upon whom the ultimate success of the open access movement depends.

The theme will also explore how changes in scholarly publishing affect scholars and researchers at different stages of their careers.

About Open Access Week

Open Access Week is an opportunity for the academic and research community to continue to learn about the potential benefits of open access, to share what they’ve learned with colleagues, and to help inspire wider participation in helping to make open access a new norm in scholarship and research.

“Open access” to information – the free, immediate, online access to the results of scholarly research, and the right to use and re-use those results as you need – has the power to transform the way research and scientific inquiry are conducted. It has direct and widespread implications for academia, medicine, science, industry, and for society as a whole.

Open access has the potential to maximize research investments, increase the exposure and use of published research, facilitate the ability to conduct research across available literature, and enhance the overall advancement of scholarship.

Research funding agencies, academic institutions, researchers and scientists, teachers, students, and members of the general public are supporting a move towards open access in increasing numbers every year. Open Access Week is a key opportunity for all members of the community to take action to keep this momentum moving forward.

Get involved!

Participating in Open Access Week can be as simple or involved as you like. It can also be a chance to let your imagination have full rein and come up with something more ambitious, wacky, fun.

Open Access Week is an invaluable chance to connect the global momentum toward open sharing with the advancement of policy changes on the local level.

Universities, colleges, research institutes, funding agencies, libraries, and think tanks have used Open Access Week as a platform to host faculty votes on campus open access policies, to issue reports on the societal and economic benefits of open access, to commit new funds in support of open access publication, and more.

Open Access Week in EIFL-partner countries

The EIFL network has been involved in Open Access Week celebrations for seven years.

Interested in being involved this year?

Mark the date in your calendar, start planning your OA events and, if you are from an EIFL-partner country, please contact EIFL-OA Programme Manager Iryna Kuchma at iryna.kuchma [at] eifl.net to learn more.