Event report g


“The context in which we do


research – and how it is being shared – is changing massively”


very different in their production practices and purchasing patterns from serials. The problem is, he said, that books cost an awful lot to produce; somewhere between $25,000 and $130,000 according to a recent study of university presses in the USA: ‘When the costs of producing the artefact in question and getting to the first copy are so high in the first place, the cost burden becomes a real problem.’ Eve pointed out that his university cannot afford a single book processing charge from its entire budget – a problem that causes real issues around distribution.


‘All roads lead back to the library’ The afternoon session of CISPC2019 featured very informative presentations from librarians. Dr Robert Darby, research data manager and Dr Karen Rowlett, research publications adviser, University of Reading Library, presented: An Open Research journey: changing sharing culture at the University of Reading, while Catherine Parker, collections and scholarly communications librarian at the University of Huddersfield, spoke on: Supporting Researchers in HE – Champions and Collaborators with a Common Goal. The Reading team discussed the


collaborative efforts of the library research publications team and research data manager at the University of Reading to stimulate a culture of open research,


including but extending beyond open access. The team focused on the benefits to the researcher rather than compliance, with initiatives include two open research- themed conferences for staff and research students, a university statement on open research, an open research award competition and other initiatives. Parker’s presentation centred on how


collaboration and communication between stakeholders is vital, and how there is a need to share expertise and champion the institution’s strengths. She added that the ultimate goal is to support researchers, in whichever way possible, in the constantly shifting research landscape. Without doubt, the quote of the day


award went to Simon Ross, chief executive at Manchester University Press, as part of his presentation: Manchesterhive and an Institutional Response to Open Access. The presentation covered how Manchester University Press has adapted to institutional and market demands for open access, especially for books in the humanities and the social sciences. Ross noted that, in terms of the research process, ‘all roads lead back to the library’ – an assertion that went down very well with delegates.


Further excerpts and highlights from presentations from CISPC2019, as well as presentation slides, will be made available at www.researchinformation.info


Art for art’s sake


For many delegates the highlight of the day was a workshop with individual tables – made up of mixed groups of librarians, funders and publisher/vendors. The idea was for delegates


to discuss what open research meant to them and their institutions – and then to report back, with an artistic interpretation or artistic references if possible, on their findings. Session moderator Helen


Clare, from Jisc, set the scene with a mention of Münch’s The Scream, with reference to librarians’ trials and tribulations over dealing with the challenges of open research.


Common themes mentioned in each group included: different relationships and workflows across different areas on industry; moving


goalposts leading to a difficulty in offering guidance to researchers; different disciplines having to be treated individually; obstacles on the way such as funding protocols and compliance, and roles within institutions becoming more functional. Jisc’s Clare summed up: ‘One of the main take-aways for me is the need for practical implementation rather than just principles, so I think that’s what our conversations should be about.’ The artistic efforts left a little


to be desired in general, but one table including Catherine Parker, Katie Porteous and Michael Upshall produced a sterling effort with a knowledge tree, a data lake, and some functional frogs (right) and scooped the chocolate-based prize.


20 Research Information February/March 2020 @researchinfo | www.researchinformation.info


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