Open Access Policy @ UHM

What is Open Access?
Open access (OA) refers to research that is accessible to anyone online at no charge and that may have relatively few restrictions on reuse.

What is an Open Access Policy?
An Open Access Policy is intended to make scholarly communication freely available to the public who has already paid for it through tax dollars. The OA Policy at UHM insures that faculty research and scholarship can be accessed via the UHM Institutional Reposistory – ScholarSpace – in addition to whatever refereed journal a faculty member chooses to publish in.

Who is behind the Open Access Policy at the UHM campus?

The UHM Library Scholarly Communication Committee, a working group of library and instructional faculty, was organized in 2009. The committee worked several years determining how UHM might best participate in the global Open Access movement to help scholarly communication become more readily accessible. In the Fall of 2010, the Manoa Faculty Senate voted overwhelmingly in support of the OA policy for the UHM campus and recommended the policy to the Chancellor’s office. The policy was developed and later signed into effect in March, 2012.

You may be interested in reading the complete policy.

When do I submit my work to ScholarSpace?
At the time your post peer-reviewed article is ready to send to a journal for final copy editing, please submit a copy to ScholarSpace.

The UHM Open Access Policy operates automatically to give UHM a license to any scholarly articles faculty members complete after its adoption. In addition, it is highly recommended that you attach an Author Addendum to any contract you sign with a publisher. In this Addendum, you can retain the copyrights you need to freely distribute your work.

How do I submit my work to ScholarSpace?
Use this online form to attach your peer-reviewed article and submit your work to the ScholarSpace staff. They will notify you when your article has been submitted.

What if there are certain restrictions and I am not able to freely distribute my research?
If you need to opt out of the OA Policy, you need only to send a brief email listing your article information and the reason for requesting a waiver. Please send to sspace@hawaii.edu.

Where can I learn more about Open Access and Scholarly Communication issues?
Please visit our Scholarly Communication website.

Questions can be directed to Beth Tillinghast at betht@hawaii.edu.