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The UMass Amherst Libraries are currently conducting a campuswide survey to collect input from faculty members on their knowledge and use of the university’s institutional Open Access Policy, as well as suggestions for improvements and how the Libraries can further support open access publishing. 

Starting this week – International Open Access Week – and running through Friday, Nov. 15, the Libraries will be distributing a survey to all faculty as part of its Open Access Policy review. Faculty members who complete the survey and opt in to the raffle have a chance to win one of three $100 Dining Cards, courtesy of the Libraries. 

Endorsed by the Faculty Senate, the Open Access Policy went into effect on July 1, 2016. Under this policy, “each Faculty member grants to the University a nonexclusive, irrevocable, worldwide license to exercise any and all rights under copyright relating to each of his or her scholarly articles, in any medium, provided that the articles are not sold for a profit, and to authorize others to do the same.” 

This applies to articles authored or co-authored while the person is a faculty member at UMass Amherst and since the policy went into effect. On behalf of the university, the Libraries implemented and continue to manage an institutional repository, ScholarWorks, a platform for open access articles, books, conference proceedings, data and more.  

In addition to the survey, the Libraries are conducting an analysis of institutional outputs of articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings from 2017 to 2023 and of deposits to ScholarWorks. Focus groups will be conducted early in the spring 2025 semester to add qualitative detail to faculty awareness and use of the Open Access Policy. 

For questions about the survey or the Open Access Policy review, please contact Christine Turner, Scholarly Communication Librarian, cturner@umass.edu.