Open Access

Western Libraries Open Access Statement

Open Access is the barrier-free, immediate availability of research outputs coupled with the rights to fully use and build upon these outputs. Open access works are available at no cost to all readers, and are licensed to allow users to retain, reuse, revise, redistribute, or remix the work without seeking permission.

At Western Libraries we support open culture and partner with researchers in identifying open avenues for disseminating research into the global knowledge base. Our support for Open Access is rooted in our commitment to:

  • Increase the visibility and impact of Western University research on a national and global scale.
  • Facilitate equitable access to scholarly materials for the betterment of society, regardless of location, affiliation, or status.
  • Enable interdisciplinary research collaboration.
  • Create opportunities for innovative scholarship through sharing and reuse of research outputs.
  • Make publicly funded research available to communities beyond the Academy

At Western Libraries, we strive to leverage our position as a leading research institution to contribute to and shape the future of open access. We do so while anticipating the needs of our local community and partnering with Western researchers to advance open access. We provide:

  • Individual Support - Librarians can help researchers navigate author rights and open access funding agency requirements, and identify reputable open access journals, how to avoid predatory journals, and find discipline-specific repositories. Contact Western Libraries Research & Scholarly Communication Team at rsclib@uwo.ca.
  • Education - Through one on one consultation, outreach, and workshops, we generate awareness of the benefits of OA for researchers and the communities they serve.
  • Self-Archiving Support - Western Libraries provides our community with access to Scholarship@Western, an open access platform to disseminate the scholarship created by Western researchers. This platform hosts all of Western’s theses & dissertations, as well as conference proceedings, working papers, videos, and more.
  • Institutional Memberships - We provide financial support for institutional memberships with Open Access publishers or organizations that develop and advance open infrastructure.
  • Journal Publishing - Western Libraries partners with the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) and Scholars Portal to host open access student and faculty-run journals.

We acknowledge that the open ecosystem is evolving, and experimentation is necessary in order for libraries, publishers, and our communities to find sustainable models for open research. We welcome your feedback and suggestions on how we can enhance or improve our commitment to Open Access.