Transfer of Research through Academic Publishing and the Use of OA Resources: A Survey

Abstract

Abstract The cycle of scholarly communication is perpetuated by those who create, evaluate, disseminate, and consume research. This paper distinguishes that the stakeholders most directly involved in this process are researchers, academic publishers, and university libraries. Whereas researchers and libraries often submit and disseminate work for free, academic publishing companies monetize their product. In this instance, the product is research, and the clientele is university libraries, who are coerced into multiyear contracts with publishers, often costing in the upwards of millions, to tens of millions of dollars. With university library budgets squeezed thin, it could be advisable to seek alternative accessible sources, beyond that of the costly subscription journal. This exploratory study surveyed 110 academic professionals to investigate how these users engage with scholarly communication and use open access (OA) resources. The study found that though outcomes of commercialized academic publishing have disrupted the transfer of research, users are hesitant to rely solely upon OA sources, despite the perception that they are of equal value to traditional commercial sources. The author concludes that in order for research to be transferred fairly between all actors of scholarly communication, that both researchers and university libraries must strive to make OA resources commonplace.