R & D project

Managing open access publication workflows and compliance

A flexible workflow solution to support universities and funders in monitoring open access publications.

Two unseen researchers discuss data using a dashboard on a laptop.

Started

Expected outcome:

New service

Higher education institutions must manage open access funds, track research outputs across the publication lifecycle, as well as meeting funders’ open research policies. These resource intensive activities pose challenges across the sector. Our new product tackles this head on.

About the service

Our new product will be a workflow and business intelligence solution that will enable higher education institutions to track their research outputs, manage open access funds, and monitor funder open access policy compliance.

The last three years have witnessed a surge in efforts for increased advocacy for open research (OR) and new mechanisms to accommodate it. This requires resource and infrastructure to measure and monitor success and compliance. Higher education institutions have had, and are continuing, to adapt their workflows with new ways of reporting, new data to collect, new agreements to evaluate and monitor, new ways of engaging with academics and so on.

The product will include a publication database, reporting suite, transitional agreement log, analytics dashboard, and more. It will provide a platform that centralises major workflow components and streamlines open access management.

What we’re doing

Throughout 2021, we have been engaging with institutions across the UK to explore the workflow challenges around monitoring open access publications and managing the respective funds. Currently, institutions are required to work across multiple platforms heavily relying on spreadsheets and dedicating a great deal of time gathering and curating publication data from various sources. By providing a central management platform, the product will:

  • Allow accurate, timely reporting to funders​
  • Enable efficient block grant management​
  • Save staff resource through headcount reduction​
  • Prepare HEIs for implementing new funder policy requirements​
  • Consolidate and centralise workflows​
  • Enhance publication data accuracy​
  • Allow easy tracking of (funded) research

Get involved

Our open access reporting and monitoring working group plays a vital and active role in informing the product design and requirements. Find out more about the group and sign up to join. For more information about the project, contact Dr Jennifer Sanchez-Davies (j.sanchez-davies@jisc.ac.uk).

Meet the project team

  • Liz Bal headshot

    Liz Bal

    Director of open research services, Jisc
  • Jennifer Sanchez-Davies headshot

    Jennifer Sanchez-Davies

    Product manager, open research services, Jisc
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    Azhar Hussain

    Head of product, open research services, Jisc