Open Access Hubs: An Exploratory Study on Their Barriers and Enablers

• In Event: Open Science in Criminology

Abstract

Open access hubs are increasingly common across academic fields, including platforms such as ArXiv, REPEC, SocArxiv, and CrimRxiv in criminology and criminal justice, as well as institutional repositories of open access publications in many higher education organizations. Open access hubs are public repositories of preprints and postprints approved for publishing after light-touch moderation processes, without the need to go through peer review processes. Such platforms aim to facilitate free access to academic literature worldwide, while also speeding up the process of academic publishing. While open access hubs are growing in users and number of submissions, they are not yet widely used across many fields, including in criminology. This study aims to illuminate the legal, ethical, and technical challenges inherent in creating and sustaining online repositories for open access to academic literature. By leveraging lessons learned from similar efforts, the aim of the study is to inform and inspire the development and growth of open access hubs within criminology and the social sciences. The study makes use of semi-structured qualitative interviews with a set of participants with extensive experience in open access hubs, including individuals involved in the creation and ongoing maintenance of open access hubs, academic librarians, and key figures within the open science movement; and a thematic analysis of recurring themes. We explore the legal challenges faced by open access hubs, key ethical considerations and issues, as well as technical challenges and general acceptability and usability across academic disciplines. Importantly, the study also illuminates approaches to mitigate the barriers to the widespread use of open access hubs.

Authors

• Jessie Sheppard, University of Manchester

• David Buil-Gil, The University of Manchester