Open access FEATURE


outputs to have the broadest possible readership to maximise impact. But first issues still exist. For Tracz, compliance is critical. As he says: ‘There are a variety of barriers, but perhaps the biggest is compliance; you know it’s still not easy to convince scientists – even when there is mandatory open access by many funders – actually to comply.’ Mark Thorley, head of science information at the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), also sees compliance as a stumbling block and is


www.researchinformation.info @researchinfo


‘Open access is increasingly important to academics’


in the process of gathering data on this from research institutions. ‘Data suggests organisations are finding it difficult to understand compliance in detail and provide accurate data on this,’ he says. ‘What is apparent is that small research organisations tend to have a better handle


on which publications coming out of the door are actually related to the Research Council funding,’ he adds. ‘But the larger and more collegiate, and distributed organisations, such as the major Russell Group universities, aren’t always aware of this.’


Given this, Thorley believes researchers within such organisations should use more programmatic methods to report on OA research. He highlights ‘Researchfish’, a web-based system developed to collect information on the research activities are


AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 Research Information 5


Alex Mappledoram/Sergey Nivens/jörg röse-oberreich/Shutterstock.com


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