International Open Access Week is celebrated in late October every year. This year's theme, Community over Commercialisation, focused on the collaborative spirit that drives research progress. 

This year, the Library hosted four short seminars that reviewed the essential elements of Open Access publishing that all researchers need to be aware of: 

• Types of OA: Understand the differences between Gold, Green, and Diamond OA models.
• Article Processing Charges (APCs): Be aware of potential costs associated with publishing in some OA journals.
• Predatory publishers: Learn to identify and avoid questionable OA journals that prioritise profit over academic integrity.
• Funder mandates: Many funding bodies now require OA publication of research outputs.
• Copyright and licensing: Familiarise yourself with Creative Commons licenses and their implications for your work.
• Rights retention: Understand your rights as an author and consider strategies to retain more control over your work, such as negotiating publication agreements or using rights retention policies.
• Institutional repositories: Explore options for self-archiving your work in Charles Sturts’ repository, CRO.

You can watch each of the sessions via the links below.

Curious if Open Access is just a trend? Want to understand why publishing Open Access is beneficial for your research? Want to learn more about protecting your rights to your research? We cover all of this in our short session.  

Watch: An overview of Open Access.

This session looked at the different types of Open Access and how to find an Open Access journal to publish in, followed by an in-depth look at repository-based OA, showing you how to make your work open for free and providing an overview of repositories.

Watch the recording of Open Access Publishing here. 

This session will demystify Creative Commons (CC) licenses and explain their importance in making work truly open access. Learn about the differences between referencing and attribution and explore the pros and cons of applying CC licenses to your research outputs.

Watch the recording here.

Discover how to enhance your teaching and save students money with Open Educational Resources (OER). This session covers what constitutes an OER, their benefits, and how to find, adopt, adapt, and create OER.

Watch the recording of An Introduction to Open Educational Resources.

This year Open Access Australasia hosted three events. 

Open and Accessible: When open isn’t enough.

Open access is more than just sharing information; it’s a powerful tool for building communities. By removing barriers to knowledge and participation, open access can help make our communities more diverse, equitable, and accessible to all. This panel will explore how open access practices can foster a sense of belonging and empower individuals from all backgrounds.

Watch the recording here. 

Communities in Action: Cutting through the rough with diamond journals and open knowledge.

How are communities in our region approaching open knowledge initiatives and driving meaningful change? In this session, the panel will explore the important role of collaboration in making research more accessible. We will delve into the opportunities and challenges of open diamond infrastructure, including international perspectives, as well as showcasing successful initiatives such as the Australasian Diamond Community of Practice and the Open Access Toolkit for Aotearoa New Zealand researchers. 

Watch this session here. 

Communities con-tech-ualised? How can technologies support communities and their decisions around opening their knowledges?

In this session we focus on the use of technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, by and for various communities, and what that means in relation to Open Access, particularly in an Indigenous context. Our speakers will explore differing perspectives on openness, on technologies in and for community and how to build relationships and address the technology knowledge gap. 

Watch the recording here.