Press release
open-access.net
The open-access.net platform provides comprehensive information on the subject of Open Access (OA) and offers practical implementation advice. Developed cooperatively by the Freie Universitaet Berlin and the Universities of Goettingen, Konstanz and Bielefeld, open-access.net went online at the beginning of May 2007. The platform's target groups include the members of the scientific community (especially scientists themselves), university and research-facility managers, infrastructure service providers such as libraries and data-processing centres, as well as funding agencies and political decision makers.
Open-access.net provides easy one-stop access to OA concepts and gives an insight into the legal, organisational and technical framework of OA and concrete implementation experiences. It also offers information on OA initiatives, services, service providers and policy documents. In addition, the platform offers practical implementation advice and answers frequently-asked questions concerning OA. The target-group orientated and discipline-specific way in which the information is presented enables users to access relevant themes quickly and efficiently.
Round 2 of the project started in May 2008. Apart from the optimisation and expansion of existing information, a key goal of the second round is to continue increasing awareness of Open Access in the various scientific sectors and to strengthen the German-speaking Open Access community – especially with regard to its influence on science policy.
Building on the partnerships already in existence, the aim is to set up a network of OA officers which would act on two levels – the operational and the political. On the operational level, the main goal will be to foster communication and the exchange of experiences between those responsible for OA in the various scientific institutions and to facilitate the institutional implementation of OA by providing a wide range of material and organising seminars etc on specific topics. On the political level, the plan is to establish a conference of leading OA officers whose task would be to gain institutional acceptance for the OA principle by employing joint strategies, pursuing common goals and adopting a joint policy stance.
The internationalisation of open-access.net is another major goal in Round 2. The translation of the platform into English is well under way. We also intend to expand our existing cooperation with partners in Austria and Switzerland in order to offer Austrian and Swiss national pages. To provide scientists with face-to-face information on OA, Open Access Days take place once a year, at a different university each time.
Further information
Platform website: www.open-access.net
Project leader:
Dr. Norbert Lossau, Director of the State and University Library, Goettingen, e-mail: Norbert.Lossau(at)sub.uni-goettingen.de; tel.: 0551/39-5212
Project coordinators:
Anja Oberländer, Library of the University of Konstanz, e-mail: Anja.Oberlaender(at)uni-konstanz.de; Tel.: 07531/88-2475
Rubina Vock, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Center for Digital Systems, e-mail: Rubina.Vock(at)fu-berlin.de; tel.: 030/838-52779
Click here for an Overview of the project partners and their Open Access activities and for a list of members of the Scientific Advisory Board.
