Our debut series on the SSP OnDemand Library, the 2020 Professional Development Series, offers presentations on current trends and issues in scholarly communications—from the impact of COVID-19 to diversity, equity, and inclusion in publishing–available at your convenience. Free materials and paid sessions can be accessed individually or as part of a group; all recordings may be accessed as your schedule allows. Videos are offered on the following topics: Business Models and Strategies, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, Editorial Innovations, Ethics and Standards, Global Trends, Research Perspectives. Featuring panels of leaders in their respective fields, this series is a must for anyone wishing to keep abreast of the industry’s latest developments.
“How Latin American Has Been (Quietly) Revolutionizing Open Research” highlighted longstanding initiatives in promoting open access throughout Latin America, including the role of the SciELO program (Scientific Electronic Library Online) in the region. As an open access program, journals from a network of 16 countries have been made open access since the program’s initial founding in 1997. Speakers Alex Mendonca, Alice Meadows, and Ana Heredia discussed the transition from open access to open science, and how open access publishing is important to connecting researchers and advancing the research done in the region. The speakers recently took the time to answer a few questions about their panel as part of our 2020 Professional Development series:
Who is the intended audience for this webinar and why should they attend?
This session would be of interest to anyone who works at a publisher that is considering new open access or open science initiatives. It would also be beneficial to anyone interested in Latin America or new publishing frameworks.
What are the goals for this event? What can attendees expect in terms of format?
Attendees will leave the session with a better understanding of the history of open access in Latin America and will learn about the drivers behind the open science movement. Led by a moderator, each speaker presents a brief presentation on their respective positions, and then the moderator and speakers engage in a discussion on challenges and opportunities throughout the region.
What do the selected speakers bring to the discussion?
Alex Mendonca provides an excellent history of the open access movement in Brazil, explaining why SciELO was founded and has been successful. Ana Heredia gives viewers an introduction to ORCID and shared the benefits of making it easier for researchers to connect and share their ideas. Both speakers are highly knowledgeable about open access and Latin America, and provide valuable insights as to the open access movement in the region.
Why is this topic important and timely? Is there a particular aspect of this topic that is noteworthy?
As publishers around the world transition to an open access model in response to new and evolving funder mandates, it’s useful to see an established and successful open access model that has been working for many years. It’s also useful for publishers to hear of the benefits of open access for researchers, encouraging the transition to this new model for reasons beyond new funder requirements.
What do you hope attendees will take away from the session?
Attendees will learn about the history and current status of open access in Brazil. After learning from the expert panelists, attendees can expect to come away with an appreciation for the region’s innovation in this area, and an inspiration for how publishers can manage their own transition to embrace open science.
The speakers do a good job of illustrating the differences between open access and open science, and discussing ways that even open access initiatives can evolve to encompass open science.
News contribution by SSP member, Kim Treanor. Kim is Media and Audience Development Manager at the American Chemical Society.
Join the Conversation
You must be logged in to post a comment.