QNL to mark Int’l Open Access Week with online events
QATAR National Library (QNL) has curated a special series of events in celebration of International Open Access Week, held between October 19 and 2 .
International Open Access Week, a global event now in its tenth year, is an opportunity for the academic and research community to continue to learn about the potential benefits of open access, share what they’ve learnt with colleagues and help inspire wider participation to make open access a new norm in scholarship and research.
The theme of the tenth anniversary week is ‘Open With Purpose: Taking Action to Build Structural Equity and Inclusion’. Open access, which enables the universal availability of scholarly research, is having a significant positive impact on everything from education to the practice of medicine to entrepreneurial success. It also helps dismantle barriers to knowledge around the world that are built on legacies of historical injustice.
To begin the week, on October 19 the library will run a session introducing attendees to its Open Access Author Fund. The event will show researchers in Qatar how they can benefit from the fund to cover the cost of publishing articles in open access journals. The session will also brie y outline the concept of open access and how it can benefit research in Qatar.
QNL has funded more than 1,000 open access articles since 2017 and is a leading center in open access in the region. The Open Access Author Fund is just one way the library is working toward making a global impact by increasing access to information and research by removing barriers such as publishing costs.
On October 20, QNL will host an academic writing and publishing workshop in which local researchers and authors will provide information and guidance on how to prepare a manuscript for submission.
The library will hold a lecture looking at opening up Qatar’s research output on October 21. The library is committed to addressing the emerging but increasingly important aspects of research data curation, such as management and publication of research data as important outputs and their long-term digital preservation.
On October 22, patrons can join a virtual lecture exploring open access in the time of COVID-19.
The changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have had an impact on the landscape of open access, open science and scholarly publishing.
To wrap up the week, on October 2 the library will announce the first recipient of its Open Initiative Award. The library began its search for the country’s best open scholarship project last month, calling for nominations for its inaugural award ceremony. The award will be given each to the best initiative to have contributed to the advancement of open scholarship in Qatar each year. A presentation will be given by the award recipient about their project.