Open Access Open Data Steering Committee to support York community

Vari Hall

Following a period of consultation in late 2015, the Tri-Agency implemented its Open Access Policy on Publications and its Statement of Principles on Digital Data Management in 2016.

The viewpoints articulated during this period of discussion surfaced varied needs across scholarly communities. While Canada is no stranger to funding agency policies, or for that matter, institutional policies, the Tri-Agency mandate introduces a framework with an unprecedented disciplinary reach and a corresponding range of implications for York University.

With the aim of supporting community members with policy compliance and to continue these valuable conversations, a campus-wide steering committee will convene in the fall to strategize how best to move forward in this area.

The committee also wishes to foster campus dialogue around emerging opportunities afforded by developing models in scholarly communications. This may include discussions towards finding sustainable publishing practices, demystifying the legal landscape for authors, and developing a scholarly culture that is mindful and strategic in its uses of multiple modes of dissemination.

The Open Access Open Data Steering Committee will engage in broad stakeholder discussions to advance the following goals:

  • To coordinate campus-wide education on open access and data management particularly in light of Tri-Agency Open Access Policy requirements and the Tri-agency Statement of Principles on Digital Data Management.
  • To articulate a framework and coordinated service models that support faculty with these requirements.
  • To create a wider forum for discussion and consideration on changes to the system of scholarship, sustainability of current economic models of scholarship, access to publicly funded research, issues surrounding authors rights in the digital age, and new scholarly distribution systems and other connected open movements.

The committee consists of the following membership, and will report back to the community through the Office of the Provost and the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation:

• Joy Kirchner, University librarian – co-chair
• Sushanta Mitra, associate vice-president, Research – (co-chair)
• Bob Gagne, chief information officer, University Information Technology
• Andrea Kosavic, digital initiatives librarian/acting associate University librarian, Digital Services
• Patricia Lynch, representative, Copyright Office

Two associate deans of research:
Carys Craig, Osgoode Hall Law School
Sylvie Morin, Faculty of Science

Seven faculty members representing diverse areas including one Academic Policy, Planning & Research Committee (APPRC) member:
• Faculty of Environmental Studies: TBD
• Faculty of Education: Karen Krasny, associate professor
• Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS): Mark Hayward, assistant professor, Department of Communications Studies
• LA&PS: Markus Reisenleitner, professor, Department of Humanities
• LA&PS: Susan McGrath, professor, School of Social Work
• Faculty of Health: Chris Ardern, associate professor, School of Kinesiology & Health Science
• APPRC: Logan Donaldson, Faculty of Science

York community members can anticipate further communications and outreach on behalf of the committee as meetings begin.

A web presence for the committee can be found at http://www.library.yorku.ca/web/oaod/.