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UCI Academic Senate Assembly Council on Computing,
Research, and Library Resources UCI Libraries
Background
Society and civilization are enhanced and enriched through the discovery, sharing,
and use of new knowledge. The highest goals and aspirations of the academy and
scholars are to create and widely share new knowledge for the benefit of society.
The current structures of the scholarly communication process often impede,
rather than enhance, the exchange of new knowledge through approaches that impose
access restrictions for private economic gain rather than provide broad access
for the common good.
The current process must change if academic libraries and universities are
to continue providing faculty, students, and staff with the access they require
to the world’s scholarship and knowledge. Otherwise, scholars will be hindered
in creating new knowledge and unable to make the results of their research widely
available. The vitality and progress of society will suffer.
Actions may be taken on a variety of fronts. The UC libraries are collaborating
on a number of issues and report progress at http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu.
The University of California Academic Council has established a Special Committee
on Scholarly Communication (SCSC), which will analyze alternative methods of scholarly
publications, methods of evaluating and ensuring high-quality publications for
consideration in academic promotion and tenure; business model(s) for publications;
and the role of scholarly societies in scholarly communications. (http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/senate/news/source/source2_2.pdf).
The granting of authors’ copyrights, however, is a key issue, which is
directly affected by individual faculty decisions, and can be considered for influential
action.
Top of Page  Copyrights
Much of the content of scholarly publications is contributed by scholars who
also provide essential peer review and editorial work for very little or no compensation.
In addition, creators are often asked or required to transfer their copyrights
to publishers who then control the use of the scholar’s work in ways that
may be contrary to the objectives of wide dissemination and use. When the creator
gives away copyright he or she no longer necessarily has the right to permit wide
use of that work in a variety of ways that advance the goals of scholars and the
academy for education and research. Traditional and emerging uses include classroom
use, posting on class websites, distance education, electronic reserve, deposit
in an open archive, eScholarship, long term electronic preservation archives,
as examples.
The power to change the structure of scholarly publishing lies with those who
create the content. UCI faculty own the copyright to their creations and can exercise
those rights in a variety of ways that are appropriate for the situation, the
publisher, and the faculty member’s interests.
The UCI Libraries, through their Scholarly Communication and Management Program
(SCAMP), will work with faculty to develop copyright workshops and consultations,
educational materials on copyright, standard language for use in publisher’s
contracts, copyright management programs, and other support services to facilitate
the widest dissemination and use of scholarly materials.
Top of Page Resolution
The Senate endorses the following guidelines developed by the UCI Libraries
and the Senate Council on Research, Computing, and Library Resources (CORCLR),
as advisory to UCI faculty. Opportunities for faculty to retain or exercise copyrights
vary by discipline, publisher, and stages of career. Consequently, it is recognized
that each faculty member must make decisions based on a variety of factors. UCI
faculty who are authors, editors, and/or members of editorial boards, are encouraged
to observe the following guidelines when circumstances allow.
- Advocate changes that strengthen scholarly communication and enhance the dissemination
of knowledge to society.
- Support broad access and availability of scholarly information and research
to the academy and society by considering publication in high-quality journals
that also have affordable pricing models that sustain wide dissemination.
- Manage author’s rights in ways that allow author retention of critical
aspects of copyright, in order to insure the widest dissemination of works in
service to education and research (e.g. web pages, e-reserves, classroom use,
discipline based depositories).
- In conjunction with the UCI Libraries, utilize and explore alternative modes
of managing copyrights and publishing, preserving, and disseminating information
that allow broad access (e.g. eScholarship, self-archiving, open access journals).
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