1. UCL Discovery: raising the Open Access profile at the institution Margaret Stone Project Manager, Research Publications Service University College London 25 January 2010, Helsinki

2. Overview Background – UCL and Open Access
UCL OA strategy and governance
Research Publications Service
UCL Discovery
Future plans

3. Background: University College London (UCL)
Founded 1826
4,000 staff; 20,000 students from 140 countries
Highly-ranked for research; especially biomedical sciences, architecture, law, economics, computer science
Leading Open Access partner in London (SHERPA-LEAP)
Open Access repository launched in 2004 – run by Library
Lead partner in DART-Europe E-theses Portal

4. Context: Open Access in the UK Source: OpenAIRE (www.openaire.eu)
Nearly all the top 40 research-led universities have an IR
Increasing number of institutional OA mandates
Most major research funding bodies have an OA mandate
Many OA projects underway (most funded by JISC)
But coverage of mandates is not yet translating into substantial increases in deposit rates
More info:

5. Background: Open Access at UCL (1)
Repository is based on Eprints software
Deposit was voluntary
Deposit was mediated by UCL Eprints team
Scope: all UCL-authored research in any format e.g. journal articles, discussion papers project reports, conference papers, presentations, recordings
Not limited to full text: metadata-only records accepted, including items submitted for UK research assessment

6. Background: Open Access at UCL (2)
Institutional IPR and Copyright policy in place
Deposit mandate for electronic theses (2008)
UCL Open Access mandate May 2009:
Copyright permissions allowing, a copy of all research outputs should be deposited in the UCL repository in Open Access
Individual UCL academic researchers should be directly responsible for providing and maintaining details of their publications in relevant UCL databases so as to support both Open Access and the requirement for UCL to keep an accurate record of its research outputs

7. OA stakeholders at UCL
Senior managers – support from Provost and Vice-Provost (Research) in particular
Faculty Deans – including support from both Engineering and Arts & Humanities
Heads of Department – complex array of departments
Research staff (and postgraduate students)
Departmental research administrators
Development Office – stories for marketing

8. ? OA challenges at UCL Quality assurance is required
Copyright compliance is essential
Admin support for these is labour-intensive
Copyright issues can be off-putting to researchers
Need incentives to support and comply with the mandate
Eprints repository needs excellent visibility and usability, for depositors and end-users (globally)

9. UCL Publications Board
UCL Solution
UCL Publications Board
Publications Policy
Open Access Mandate
Research
Publications
Service
(administration)
UCL Discovery
(public interface)
Marketing
Other
Systems

10. UCL Publications Board
Overview
UCL Publications Board
Publications Policy
Open Access Mandate
Background – UCL and Open Access
UCL OA strategy and governance
Research Publications Service
UCL Discovery
Future plans
Research
Publications
Service
(administration)
UCL Discovery
(public interface)
Marketing
Other
Systems

11. UCL Publications Board
Publications Policy
Open Access Mandate
Governance
Publications Board established to oversee all matters relating to research publications, including open access
Membership: Vice-Provost (Research), academic staff from all faculties, Library Services, Academic Services
Remit: OA and publications – implementation, advocacy, editorial oversight, advice
Publications Policy ratified by UCL Academic Board – describes mandate, rationale and benefits

12. UCL Publications Board
Overview
UCL Publications Board
Publications Policy
Open Access Mandate
Background – UCL and Open Access
UCL OA strategy and governance
Research Publications Service
UCL Discovery
Future plans
Research
Publications
Service
(administration)
Other
Systems
UCL Discovery
(public interface)
Marketing

13. Research Publications Service (1)
UCL research information systems are being improved
Researchers’ work previously listed on: in-house database; personal and departmental web pages
Research Information Service being developed, with a profile for each researcher (funding, interests, awards, publications)
Publications lists required for internal and external appraisal
Project to implement a new Research Publications Service to meet these requirements

14. Research Publications Service (2)
Purchased ‘Elements’ software from Symplectic Ltd. (specialist for UK)
Key features include harvesting of researchers’ publications from e.g. Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed
Easier to maintain a comprehensive publications record, especially in Science and Medicine
Switch to researcher-led entry, rather than admin staff
Launched in March 2010

21. Number of publication records
Usage of RPS
Number of publication records

22. Bibliometric reporting
System interfaces
Eprints repository
UCL appraisal system
RPS
Information about researchers
Harvested publications metadata
Manual publications metadata
Full-text files
Management reporting
Bibliometric reporting
IRIS (researcher profiles)

25. Daily synchronisation (metadata and full text links)
RPS and Open Access
RPS
Enter metadata
Upload full-text
(show T&C)
Link to full-text
Eprints
Display metadata
Process full-text
Display full-text
Daily synchronisation (metadata and full text links)
Dynamic file upload
RPS is now the deposit point for OA files
Eprints repository now includes a ‘full’ record of UCL publications, ready for the addition of OA files

26. UCL Publications Board
Overview
UCL Publications Board
Publications Policy
Open Access Mandate
Background – UCL and Open Access
UCL OA strategy and governance
Research Publications Service
UCL Discovery
Future plans
Other
Systems
Research
Publications
Service
(administration)
UCL Discovery
(public interface)
Marketing

27. UCL Discovery
After launch of Research Publications Service, Eprints rebranding commenced
Single interface to UCL publications (not provided by Symplectic)
Benefit from Eprints’ search engine optimization
Two audiences: the public, and UCL researchers
New name: ‘UCL Discovery’

38. OA Challenges at UCL - revisited?
Mediated deposit is labour-intensive
Quality assurance is required
Copyright compliance is essential
Copyright issues can be off-putting to researchers
Incentives to support and comply with the mandate?
Eprints repository needs excellent visibility and usability, for depositors and end-users (globally)
 metadata harvest
 guidance notes
 easier workflows
 new interface

39. Incentives for researchers
OA provides greater visibility for researchers’ work
Enter data once, then re-use for CV, personal webpages, promotion/grant submissions, research assessment
Long term hosting and preservation of research outputs
Download statistics and bibliometrics are available to researchers
Plus, central monitoring of response rate!
Wider benefits:
Rapid and open dissemination to global society (incl. those without access to commercial content)
Influence senior policy and decision makers
Promote UCL to prospective students

40. Communication to stakeholders
Launch to Heads of Department (Oct 2010)
Public launch (Q1 2011), media stories
Internal promotion, e.g. case studies, video podcasts
Advocacy by librarians – linked to departments
Advocacy by Discovery support team
Overseen and supplemented by Publications Board

41. Lessons learned
Importance of management support – UCL Discovery as a core institutional resource, not a ‘library’ resource
Value of robust policies (IPR and Publications)
Promotion and appraisal provide a good incentive
Training: classifying publication types
Systems are still quite immature in this area

42. Overview Background – UCL and Open Access
UCL OA strategy and governance
Research Publications Service
UCL Discovery
Future plans

43. Future plans Implement communication plan
Ongoing increase in OA deposit – possibly linked to appraisal/promotion
Quality control according to clear priorities
Closer integration with UCL’s wider research information service (links to researcher profiles, joint reporting)
Integration with Research Excellence Framework report (UK national research assessment)

44. margaret.stone@ucl.ac.uk http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk
Thank you – Questions?