About the Art
Books and knowledge are gateways to entire universes that expand our minds. Inspired by knowledge sharing, this photo collage depicts the growth of the mind, stretching into the cosmos of our exploration in the quest of knowledge and discovery.
Original artwork by Surface Impression (Aedán Crooke) for the Information Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. The artwork was done using Adobe Stock Images.
Brock University
Scholars’ research shared freely, online with Open Access initiative
Brock University’s Open Access initiative encourages its scholars’ to freely share their research, and makes a direct connection between being open and transparent and achieving its broader mandate.
Brock University’s Open Access initiative is a prime example of how an organization actively promotes transparency by encouraging and facilitating the open dissemination of research to benefit the institution, the community it serves, and the broader public.
Subsequent to its adoption, the University’s Open Access Policy applies to all academic journal articles published by Brock Scholars. Brock Scholars are expected to deposit an electronic copy of their academic journal articles in the university’s Digital Repository, which ensures this research is accessible to all. The library also invests in infrastructure, grants and other supports to help researchers publish in open access journals.
Video transcript
Elizabeth Yates:
Brock University strongly supports open access, which refers to free, unrestricted online access to research outputs. Traditionally, articles reporting on the results of research projects have only been accessible to those who can afford subscriptions to academic journals, which are very costly. When research is shared openly, everyone benefits. The public gains access to publicly-funded research, researchers enjoy greater impact and higher citations to their articles, and there is greater transparency around how research is conducted and reported.
Brock is special in that we have one of the few open access policies in Canada. Of all the post-secondary institutions in the country, only about a dozen have prioritized open access in this way. This really signals how important open access is to Brock’s leadership, to its research, and of course to its library, which has been a leader in devoting resources and staffing to supporting open access. Like all members of the public, Ontarians are benefiting by being able to access the results of research produced at Brock. This means Ontarians can learn about new topics or take a deeper dive into subjects they’re already familiar with, as well research results which are made open access could be incorporated into programming, policies, healthcare, legislation, and other areas which can impact the daily lives of Ontarians.
The goal of the University’s Open Access policy and Digital Repository, as well as the ongoing efforts by the institution and its researchers, is free, unrestricted online access to research.
This is important and useful for many reasons. It accelerates discovery across disciplines; increases the visibility and impact of the work; facilitates connections and collaborations between scholars; makes data and statistical information available for new purposes; strengthens the rigour of the research by opening it to scrutiny; and reflects Brock’s accountability as an institution that receives public funding.
The Open Access initiative is also an example of how an organization sees a clear and direct connection between openness and transparency and its broader mandate, which, for Brock University, is the advancement of learning, the dissemination of knowledge and the betterment of its members and society.
