U of A Libraries Invest in Open Scholarship

The U of A is committed to disseminating its research and scholarship as widely as possible. In support of this commitment, the University Libraries have recently invested in five author support programs promoting open access. 

"Investing in open access directly benefits U of A authors by making publishing more affordable with established journals and presses using trusted peer review processes," said L. Angie Ohler, associate dean for content and digital initiatives. "Open means accessible, and when scholarship is more accessible, that means higher citation rates and a greater impact in the field. Our goal is to increase these opportunities across all disciplines, bringing higher visibility for U of A authored works around the world."

Open Access Publishing Fund

The Open Access Publishing Fund was created in July 2021 by the University Libraries with funding from seven colleges and campus units. Authors who do not have another source of funding can apply for up to $2,000 to cover publishing costs for an open access journal article or monograph. To date, the Open Access Publishing fund has provided over $16,000 in support of 10 U of A researchers. 

"I am very thankful to University Libraries for their support of open access publishing," said Shannon Servoss, co-director of the Office of Undergraduate Research. "With their support, researchers from all over the world are able to access the impactful work we are doing here at the University of Arkansas."

"Read and Publish" Agreement with Cambridge University Press

U of A students, faculty and staff have an opportunity to publish articles in open access journals without paying an article processing charge, thanks to a "read and publish" agreement the University Libraries entered into with Cambridge University Press. 

Public Library of Science

The libraries are included in a three-year agreement between the Public Library of Science and the Center for Research Libraries that will allow U of A researchers to publish in Public Library of Science journals for free. 

Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute

U of A students, faculty, staff and postdoctoral researchers can receive a 10 percent discount on article and book processing charges through the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute's Institutional Open Access Program. 

Arkansas Scholarly Editions

The libraries and U of A Press have developed a collaborative publishing initiative that amplifies U of A System research and scholarship in openly accessible formats. The first Arkansas Scholarly Edition work is now available through the U of A's institutional repository, ScholarWorks@UARK.