Category Archives: oa.scotland

Scholarly Communications Officer (Metadata) – CG1967NB

Posted on by
Reply

“The University of St Andrews is seeking an enthusiastic individual who can bring expertise in bibliographic metadata or cataloguing to the Open Research Team in the University’s Libraries & Museums.  

 

The post holder will have responsibility for supporting the Scholarly Communications (Open Access) Team to provide an accurate description of the University’s scholarly record, to enhance discovery of our publications and support compliance with funder mandates, including requirements for UKRI and research assessment exercises. You will have knowledge of the academic publishing process and awareness of the open access environment in the UK and be able to apply metadata standards in the context of a research information system covering a range of subject areas.  …”

Only 6 of the 45 research outputs on the Scottish Government’s Natural Asset Register Data Portal are open data

Posted on by
Reply

“The Natural Asset Register Data Portal (NAR:DP) is a website funded by the Scottish Government that provides open access to research outputs related to Scotland’s natural assets.

The spatial datasets listed on the portal are produced by researchers in six Scottish Environment, Food and Agricultural Research Institutes (SEFARI). The portal is built on the CKAN platform and hosted by the James Hutton Institute (JHI).

According to the portal’s metadata catalogue, all but one of the 45 research outputs are available for re-use on open terms, because they are covered by an open licence or in the public domain….

In summary, I found that:

 

7 records only make data available as a web mapping service (WMS) layer,
2 records do not make any data available,
36 records make data available for download,
35 records make data available in an open format, and
only 6 records make data available with an open licence or status.

 

In other words, there is far less open data available from the Natural Asset Register Data Portal than the metadata suggests….”

“Our policy is an affirmation that the University of Edinburgh fully supports authors in their open access practices” | Plan S

Posted on by
Reply

”

In 2008 Harvard’s Faculty of Arts & Sciences voted unanimously to adopt a ground-breaking open access policy. Since then, over 70 other institutions, including other Harvard faculties, Stanford and MIT, have adopted similar policies based on the Harvard model. In Europe such institutional policies have, so far, been slow to get off the ground.

We are beginning to see that situation change.

The University of Edinburgh adopted its Research Publications & Copyright policy in 2021. In the following interview, Theo Andrew, Scholarly Communications Manager at the University of Edinburgh, explains how this policy was developed, describes the benefits for the University’s staff and shares his tips for any other institution that might consider adopting a similar policy….”

Scottish Universities Open Access Press | Research and Resources @ University of Dundee

Posted on by
Reply

Dominique Walker, the Publishing Officer for the Scottish Universities Open Access Press (SUOAP), introduces the work undertaken to establish and sustain an open access publishing platform that is owned and managed by the 18 participating HEIs. The Scottish Universities Open Access Press (SUOAP) aims to provide a clear and cost-effective route for researchers to make their work freely available to a global audience, meeting the requirements of funders and realising the ambition to extend the impact of research across society.

Publishing Officer (Scottish Universities Open Access Press) at University of Dundee

Posted on by
Reply

“The primary purpose of this post is to support the implementation of a new Open Access University Press for Scotland. This will be a non-commercial press with shared ownership and management across member institutions of the Scottish Confederation of University & Research Libraries (SCURL). The scope of the platform will initially focus on monographs, set within a broader context of developing new library-led open access publishing services and initiatives.

This role will be responsible for supporting the launch of the initiative and contributing to advocacy for the aims of the press.

A successful candidate will have an interest in open access publishing, excellent communication and digital skills, and an entrepreneurial approach to new ventures.

This post is a wonderful opportunity for anyone interested in academic publishing or library services to be part of an innovative venture that aims to enhance the academic publishing landscape….”

Job: Publishing Officer (Scottish Universities Open Access Press). Fixed Term 2 Years, 1.0 FTE. Application deadline: Nov 3, 2021 | University of Dundee

Posted on by
Reply

We are recruiting for an exceptional individual to join us as a Publishing Officer (Scottish Universities Open Access Press) within our Research and Resources Division, LLC&CI to implement a new Open Access University Press for Scotland.

This post is to implement a new Open Access University Press for Scotland. A non-commercial press with shared ownership member institutions of the Scottish Confederation of University & Research Libraries. The scope of the platform will initially focus on monographs, set within a broader context of developing new library-led open access publishing services and initiatives.

Your priorities will include:

Regular reporting to Management Board of the press.
Establish and support editorial board and commissioning processes, and ensure scalability.
Embed academic-led advocacy strategy to engage potential authors.
Establish brand and marketing strategy, including support of events like book launches or publicity events.
Clearly document workflows covering stages of publications for various formats or options.

Please see the job description (available on the university’s website, accessed by the apply button) for full details of the duties associated with this role.

Who we’re looking for:

Evidence of strong communication skills both written and verbal with proven ability to build effective relationships..
Ability to talk through business and operational challenges clearly with partners at various experience levels.
Ability to liaise with a wide variety of stakeholders and authors and to demonstrate excellent support service skills.
Ability to plan own work and responsibilities over the short and medium term, with an awareness of longer-term issues, and meet deadlines.
Proven ability to work independently using initiative and judgement to deliver successful outcomes.

Please see the person specification for full details of the skills and experience required for this role.

We are one of the UK’s leading universities – internationally recognised for our expertise across a range of disciplines and research breakthroughs in multiple areas, including science, medicine and engineering, amongst many others. Conveniently located on the banks of River Tay, our main city-centre campus is at the heart of Dundee – an up-and-coming, friendly, compact and affordable city with a rich heritage in design and technology. We also have campuses at Ninewells Hospital and in Kirkcaldy which are easily accessible via local transport links.

For further information about this position please contact Hannah Whaley, Assistant Director, Research & Resources at h.whaley@dundee.ac.uk.

The diversity of our staff and students helps to make the University of Dundee a UK university of choice for undergraduate, postgraduate and distance learning. Family friendly policies, staff networks for BME, Disabled and LGBT staff, membership of Athena SWAN, the ECU Race Equality Charter and Stonewall as well as a full range of disability services, create an enjoyable and inclusive place to work.

A new OER Policy for the University

Posted on by
Reply

“In September 2021, the University’s Education Committee approved a new Open Education Resources (OER) Policy, which revises and updates our previous 2016 policy. Supported by the central OER Service, the policy encourages staff and students to use, create and publish OERs to enhance the quality of the student experience, expand provision of learning opportunities, and enrich our shared knowledge commons. Investing in OER and open licensing helps to improve the sustainability and longevity of our educational resources, while encouraging colleagues to reuse and repurpose existing open materials expands the pool of teaching and learning resources and helps to diversity the curriculum. As one of the few universities in the UK to have an OER policy, the new policy strengthens the University of Edinburgh’s position as a world leader in open education and reiterates our strategic commitment to openness and achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development….”

Scholarly Communications Officer (LIB209A)

Posted on by
Reply

“The post will form part of the Directorate of Digital & Information Services within the University’s Professional Services. With approximately 1,500 staff, professional Services consists of several student and academic focused areas as well as other corporate and support areas.

Based in the University Library the postholder will work with colleagues across the University to support the implementation and development of an inclusive and supportive research culture, with the focus on providing guidance to the research community on open and responsible research publishing practices and incorporating the principles of responsible research assessment into University policy and practice….”

Being transparent & privacy aware: ditching third-party trackers in Strathprints | Open Access @ Strathclyde

Posted on by
Reply

 

George Macgregor
Scholarly Publications & Research Data, University of Strathclyde

Over the years, and like a lot of websites, Strathprints has historically made use of third-party integrations. Some of these integrations have provided us, and Strathprints users, with useful functionality over the years. But because these integrations involve the implementation of tracking code within Strathprints, they have also entailed third-party cookies being attached to our users. This is most notable in our use of Google Analytics and AddThis, the former providing analytics on web traffic and the latter providing convenient social sharing buttons and web analytics. In fact, the Google Analytics Tracking Code (GATC) also entails the DoubleClick cookie used to enable remarketing for products like Google Ads, while AddThis engages in browser fingerprinting.

Given the tracking that is increasing occurring within the scholarly publishing industry generally, and the sometimes-nefarious purposes to which the collected data are being put, we feel it is inappropriate for an open repository like Strathprints to continue to use additional and unnecessary forms of tracking. We have therefore recently removed Google Analytics from Strathprints altogether and have implemented alternative social sharing options to replace AddThis. An additional benefit of removing these tools is that Strathprints is serving less Javascript, which helps to promote quicker page loading – so the benefits go beyond superior privacy to include a better user experience!

[…]

COVID-19 Research Repository now live – News – Public Health Scotland

Posted on by
Reply

“Public Health Scotland (PHS) has collaborated with Higher Education Institutions to create a comprehensive repository for COVID-19 Research in Scotland.

The repository, which contains research about COVID-19 in Scotland in a range of formats, is a fully accessible and searchable digital resource.

The creation of a fully searchable COVID-19 Research Repository reduces duplication of effort and makes research easier for policymakers, researchers and the public to find and use.

By providing easy access to recently published research on COVID-19 in Scotland on a single shared platform, PHS hopes to enhance the visibility of leading research and promote Scottish research to a national and international audience….”

Applications Analyst/Developer (337012)

Posted on by

“The University Library is undertaking an exciting project, due to commence February 2021, to implement a new repository for its digital theses and exam paper collections. We are looking for a versatile developer and system administrator with experience in repositories and/or Library systems to help this project succeed. As an enthusiastic, innovative and experienced developer you will play a lead role in the implementation of our new repository system and the migration of data from our legacy repository. This post will sit within the Library Systems team of ISD Business Systems at the University. This is a small team that delivers systems key to Library operations you will be required to provide back-up support for these systems. A dynamic, flexible and customer centred approach is key….”

Introduction to International Open Access Week from the University Librarian | InfoLinks

Posted on by

“It feels rather ironic to be writing on the subject of open access as we head towards the end of a year in which so many things have remained at least partly closed. However, the pandemic has served both to shine a light on the critical importance of open research and expose the amount of work still to do to achieve it. It is my hope that Open Access Week 2020 both reaches a wider audience and galvanises us into collective action like never before.

I have been thinking about, writing about and attempting to stimulate open access as the right solution for ethical and effective scholarly communications for almost two decades. Fifteen years ago, I was part of an ambitious plan to deliver an open access solution for Scotland through a national repository infrastructure, and while the lofty vision was never realised, this work placed Scotland at the forefront of open access thinking and demonstrated, as is often the case, that this is a nation well capable of ‘punching above its weight’. A paper describing a national information strategy for Scotland provides a 2005 overview of this project, within a wider context. It is satisfying to see that although the networked infrastructure we hoped to build is not in place, this paper still remains freely accessible through the institutional repository of a Scottish university.

This was a time when open access seemed most likely to be achievable by providing versions of published papers in repositories, while the final papers themselves would continue to be published in subscription journals – the so-called Green route. It was not until the publication of the Finch Report in 2012, and the enthusiasm of the then Minister for Higher Education (David Willets) for a Gold route, that open access of the published paper itself began to dominate policy and gain momentum. Very regrettably, this has become synonymous for many with one method of funding it: the article processing charge, or APC. This solution has served to perpetuate a scholarly communications infrastructure which relies upon commercial third parties, placing the research community at the mercy of a small number of profit-making organisations for whom profits and shareholder value are paramount….”

Open Access Assistant – CG1697NB

Posted on by

“The University’s Research and Innovation Services (RIS) is looking for an enthusiastic individual with some knowledge of open access publishing processes and a desire to gain further experience in this developing area of research support. You will have some experience of working in a research environment or in a support role in an HEI, and will be able to demonstrate a high degree of attention to detail and excellent communication skills.   

The primary role of the post is to identify, upload and manage bibliographic data and open access publications to the University’s current research information system (Pure). The role will support the wider open access (OA) team services which assist academic staff to achieve open access via deposit in Pure or payment of OA fees and meet the requirements of research funders including UK Research and Innovation. You will also contribute to processes which support the University’s submission to REF2021.   

You will have a degree or equivalent relevant work experience, some awareness of the wider Open Research environment and knowledge of external (funder and publisher) policies affecting scholarly publishing within UK higher education. The ideal candidate will have experience of working with repository or research information systems and bibliographic metadata.     …”

Open Access Assistant – CG1697NB

Posted on by

“The University’s Research and Innovation Services (RIS) is looking for an enthusiastic individual with some knowledge of open access publishing processes and a desire to gain further experience in this developing area of research support. You will have some experience of working in a research environment or in a support role in an HEI, and will be able to demonstrate a high degree of attention to detail and excellent communication skills.   

The primary role of the post is to identify, upload and manage bibliographic data and open access publications to the University’s current research information system (Pure). The role will support the wider open access (OA) team services which assist academic staff to achieve open access via deposit in Pure or payment of OA fees and meet the requirements of research funders including UK Research and Innovation. You will also contribute to processes which support the University’s submission to REF2021.   

You will have a degree or equivalent relevant work experience, some awareness of the wider Open Research environment and knowledge of external (funder and publisher) policies affecting scholarly publishing within UK higher education. The ideal candidate will have experience of working with repository or research information systems and bibliographic metadata.     …”

Open Knowledge in the Curriculum: Building competencies, attributes and literacies – Open.Ed

Posted on by

“At the University of Edinburgh we believe that the creation of open knowledge and open educational resources are fully in keeping with our institutional vision, purpose and values, to discover knowledge and make the world a better place, while ensuring that our teaching and research is diverse, inclusive,?accessible to all and relevant to society.  This commitment to open knowledge is more important now than ever,  in the midst of a global pandemic that has disrupted education for millions of learners around the world. Indeed in response to the COVID-19 crisis, UNESCO has issued a Call for Joint Action to support learning and knowledge sharing through Open Educational Resources (OER) with a view to building more inclusive, sustainable and resilient Knowledge Societies….”