Open Access Publishing: HSRC Press case study

Presenter: Karen Bruns(Marketing Manager: HSRC Press)

Introduction to the HSRC Press

• Directorate of the Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa

• Open Access scholarly publisher• Dual medium publisher: simultaneous

print and online release• Social science and humanities, focused

on South Africa • Publish HSRC research and externally

authored works

The Access Principle

• ‘a commitment to scholarship carries with it a responsibility to extend the circulation as far as possible, to all who are interested and all who might profit by it’ (Willinsky, 2006)

• Centuries old principle: Alexandria, mosque libraries, Nature etc.

• Inherent in the scholarly enterprise• Access declining

The HSRC Press Principles

• Public funding = Public benefit • Commitment to scholarship =

Commitment to dissemination • Intellectual property belongs to the

‘commons’ – products you pay for • Technologies must be appropriate for

the socio-economic context of use

4 Myths of Open Access Publishing

Myth 1: Sales will fall!

• 2003/4 all publications free online access: sale increased by more than 200%

• 2007/8 effective USA distribution: • sales increased by more than 300%• Random, Harper Collins, Wiley:

‘early evidence shows an increase in sales’

Evidence

Open Access + Distribution Management = Improved Sales

Myth 2: Academics will not take your publications seriously!

• Citation count = indicator academic engagement

• Scholarly book citation survey

Evidence

High online visibility = High impact

Myth 3: Authors don’t want that!

• 2003: approximately 20 submissions

• 2007: approximately 100 submissions

• Some authors now requesting Open Access

Evidence

More than anything else,

Scholarly Authors want to be read!

Myth 4: It’s the new ‘silver bullet’!

• 2007 HSRC Press stakeholder survey: Quality remains the number 1 qualifier

• ‘Free’ is not enough in the attention economy

• Getting the basics right is still the new ‘silver bullet’

• Be the best at something!

Evidence

Quality and consistency are still basic requirements. Open Access gives you leverage.

HSRC Press Model: Overview

• Simultaneous release of all electronic and print versions

• Publications are peer reviewed• ‘Best practice’ production standards• Active ‘issue-based’ marketing• Engage local and global dialogue

HSRC Press Model: Copyright

• Free full-text online access

• Free not-for-profit use

• License publishing rights from authors

• Free serial and excerpt rights to mass media

HSRC Press Model: Online Reach

  

Conclusion

Opening access can increase visibility, sales and impact

The publishing basics remain important

HSRC Press Model: Income

• Public funding for fixed overheads (salaries, rental, services)

• Own income for publishing programme, from sales and subventions

• Current split: 40% funded, 60% own income