Partnering on Copyright

Background

The so-called journals crisis in academic publishing – a combination of upward spiralling prices for the journal subscriptions set by the (often commercial) publishers and downward spiralling number of subscriptions by the (academic libraries) – threatens the accessibility of academic information. Understandably, a number of initiatives within the academic world have been started in order to seek a solution and that maximise access to academic information - often the outcome of governmental sponsored research.

At a theoretical level, the number of initiatives aimed to change the transfer of the copyright from the author to the publisher. One of these initiatives, the 'Zwolle Group' – a group of academic authors, publishers and copyright experts – has developed seven 'principles' aimed at 'balancing stakeholder interests in scholarship-friendly copyright practices'.

At the same time, at a practical level there are now two primary vehicles for delivering open access to research articles, Open Access journals and Open Access archives or repositories.

Aims & Objectives

The main objectives of the study are:

With regard to good practices on copyright:

• Identify good practices with regard to copyright in Open Access journals, with a description of model statements on copyright
• Assess the potential of these good practices and related model statements among present publishers of Open Access journals

With regard to attitudes and behaviour of authors of articles in Open Access journals:

• Assess the attitudes and present behaviour of these authors with regard to existing copyright practices and with regard to the good practices as identified above
• Assess the attitudes and present behaviour of these authors with regard to their potential use of the copyright of their own articles after publishing and open access journal (such as self-publishing and self-archiving).

Project Outcomes

This major deliverable of this project is the report on OA authors' attitudes to copyright and licence models for Open Access journals. The project itself consists of the following parts:

Phase 1: identification of good practices

A study of the presently used copyright practices in existing Open Access journals, also including alternative approaches on copyright such as ‘Creative Commons’ and ‘copyleft’. This study leads to the identification of a number of good practices with model copyright statements. The commitment of publishers of Open Access journals on these good practices and model copyright statements are assessed.

The study describes the present situation with regard to copyright practices in the Open Access journals sector, and consists of:

• Literature study into the development of copyright in the Open Access environment
• Collecting copyright models of the main open access publishers
• 5 interviews (personal or by telephone) with copyright experts in the United Kingdom and in the Netherlands
• Identification of good practices and related model statements
• 5 interviews (personal or by telephone) with leading Open Access publishers with regard to their copyright practices

Phase 2: a survey among OA authors

Both qualitative and quantitative research among OA authors was undertaken.

• A qualitative study (12 telephone interviews) were held with OA authors. The focus of these discussions will lie on their attitude towards the present copyright practices, their responses to the identified good practices and on their attitude and behaviour with regard to using the copyright of their own articles after publishing in open access journals, such as of self-publishing and self-archiving.
• The results of the qualitative study will be used to develop a questionnaire for a websurvey among a large number of OA authors (approx. 2000). This websurvey will build on the results of an earlier websurvey by Key Perspectives Ltd. Pleiade Management & Consultancy will use its own websurvey instrument Pleiadesurvey.nl.

Phase 3: proposals for dissemination and awareness raising

On the basis of the results of the studies above, proposals have been drafted for dissemination and awareness raising among authors and other stakeholders. This includes a proposal for a joint UK-NL seminar.

Phase 4: follow-up- care

Potential panel discussion during seminar

Discussion of the results of the study will be very valuable and enhance the insight in the meaning of the results. The present set-up of the study is a qualitative study followed by a quantitative study (the websurvey), in which the results of the qualitative study will be checked. A panel discussion is proposed during the seminar about the results of the study. The report of this panel discussion could then later be added to the report.

Project Management

Project Coordination: Maurits van der Graaf (Pleiade Management & Consultancy)

Project work undertaken by: Maurits van der Graaf (Pleiade Management & Consultancy) & Esther Hoorn (University of Groningen).