Policy 586: Open Access to Scholarly Articles

Section: Operating Policies
Sub-Section: Research and Sponsored Projects
Policy Number: 586
Subject: Open Access to Scholarly Articles
Applies To: University Employees
Origin Date: May 30, 2012
Revison Date(s): August 31, 2016
Effective Date: August 31, 2016
Download the PDF File for Policy 586

586.1 POLICY

In harmony with the institutional mission of serving the public through learning, discovery, and engagement, Utah State University is committed to the widest dissemination of employees’ scholarly articles, including utilizing new technologies to facilitate the open sharing of their scholarly articles.

Additionally, the University recognizes that United States copyright law, in conformance with its constitutional foundation, grants special and exclusive, but limited rights to authors as an incentive to create and distribute their works. These rights are limited to insure that they do not impose an undue obstacle to education and the free exchange of ideas.

586.2 REFERENCES

Policy #327- Intellectual Property, Copyright and Scholarly Works

586.3 DEFINITIONS

Institutional Repository (IR) - is an online resource for collecting, preserving, and disseminating the intellectual output of an institution. It also provides online journal and conference hosting as well as access to personal web pages.

Open Access - The open dissemination of scholarly articles, without price barriers, through the Internet, as a means to reach an author's widest possible audience.

Scholarly Articles – Articles that describe the fruits of a scholar’s research that he/she gives to the world for the sake of inquiry and knowledge without the expectation of payment.

586.4 PROVISIONS

4.1 Rights and Waivers

All employees during their employment with the University grant to the University a nonexclusive license to exercise any and all rights under copyright relating to each of their scholarly articles, in any medium, provided that the articles are not sold for profit, and to authorize others to do the same. These articles will also be deposited in the University’s Open Access Institutional Repository to ensure the widest possible dissemination. The nonexclusive license will be waived at the sole discretion of the author, except in cases where a funder mandate requires article deposit, and will be administered on behalf of the Provost’s Office by the Library.

For procedures see http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/oadc/1/.

586.5 RESPONSIBILITY

5.1 Employees

Responsible for compliance with all applicable laws and policies.

5.2 Merrill-Cazier Library Scholarly Communications Office

Responsible for the coordination of the IR to provide open access to scholarly works, research, reports, publications, and courses produced by Utah State University faculty, staff, students, and others.

Responsible for distributing waivers of Utah State University’s nonexclusive license to scholarly articles at the sole discretion of the author, on an article by article basis. Email: ScholarlyCommunications@USU.edu.