Open Access books: a future model

Aus der Praxis von Bibliotheken, Verlagen, Wissenschaft und Lehre im gemeinsamen Projekt OGeSoMo

Abstract

OGeSoMo is a project sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. It examines the status of Open Access publishing in the Humanities and Social Studies. As the initiating institution, the University Library of Duisburg-Essen involves all participants of the publication process in its survey: Cooperating partners include representatives of publishing houses, researchers and lecturers. Employing a hands-on method and relying on the power of open dialogue, OGeSoMo explores how Open Access publishing is approached in everyday practice. Detailed data analysis is conducted in order to describe the significance of Open Access for researchers, lecturers and the publishing market: Which texts written by authors within the University Alliance Ruhr are suitable to be published in Open Access and what does the publishing process entail? Which costs arise? How many print copies does an Open Access publication sell?

What is the potential of Open Access in teaching, and to what extent are Open Access texts cited in scientific literature? OGeSoMo does not only aim to answer these questions, but also strives to educate scientists as authors on all aspects of Open Access publishing. As part of the project, leaflets are prepared about legal issues, licensing practices and financing in order to support authors to realize their own Open Access endeavors in the long run.