OA_Week_2025

{ <img src="OA-Logo.jpeg"> Try to navigate academic life without spending your takeout food budget! Learn about: * Access to scholarly articles * Publishing scholarly articles * Impact and scholarly monographs Choose your character: (if: $articles is 0)[ [[Undergrad Student]] ] (else-if: $UnderGradComplete is 0)[ [[Undergrad Student]] (You've started, but there's more to do!!) ] (else:)[ [[Undergrad Student]] (You've done this already!) ] (if: $GradStarted is 0)[ [[Grad Student]] ] (else-if: $GradComplete is 0)[ [[Grad Student]] (You've started, but there's more to do!!) ] (else:)[ [[Grad Student]] (You've done this already!) ] (if: $FacultyStarted is 0)[ [[Faculty Member]] ] (else-if: $FacultyComplete is 0)[ [[Faculty Member]] (You've started, but there's more to do!!) ] (else:)[ [[Faculty Member]] (You've done this already!) ] #Guide Extra info is in (text-color:"#A2A4A3")[light gray]. In-story links you haven't clicked show up as (text-color:"#cfb87c")[gold]. In-story links you've clicked on before show up as (text-color:"#ae5a39")[brick]. Links to external websites you haven't clicked show up as (text-color:"#4169e1")[blue]. External links you've clicked on before show up as (text-color:"#6941e1")[purple]. Both of these will open in new tabs. If you've completed a path, the link will appear in italics and bold text will say (You've already done this!). Text released under a <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/" target="_blank"> CC BY-SA license</a>. <a href="https://libraries.colorado.edu/" target="_blank"><img src="University_Libraries_left.png"></a> }

{ <a href="https://pixabay.com/illustrations/woman-student-college-school-213723/" target="_blank"><img src="undergrad-01.jpg"></a> You’re an undergraduate student and you’re writing a paper that’s due tomorrow. You’ve identified an argument that you need to support with a little more research. Where will you search for articles first? (if: $UnderGrad1A is 0)[ [[Libraries OneSearch]] ] (else:)[ [[Libraries OneSearch]] (You've already done this!) ] (if: $GoogSchol is <1)[ [[Google Scholar]] ] (else-if: $GoogSchol is 1)[ [[Google Scholar]] (You've started this path, but you haven't explored everything.)] (else:)[ [[Google Scholar]] (You've already done this!) ] (if: $UnderGrad1D is 0)[ [[Publisher’s website]] ] (else:)[ [[Publisher’s website]] (You've already done this!) ] (if: $articles >= 3)[ You’ve got all the articles you need! [[Submit your paper.|Success1]] ] (else:)[ So far you've found $articles of the articles you need for your project. ] [[Choose a different character->Start]] }

{ (set: $GradStarted to 1) #Grad Scenario <a href="https://pixabay.com/vectors/journal-magazin-reading-news-159879/ " target="_blank"><img src="grad-01.png"></a> Congratulations! You just finished writing your first scholarly article! Now you must decide which journal to submit to. You want to make sure the journal is trustworthy but will have a lot of visibility and reach. Which journal will you choose? (if: $Grad1A is 0)[ * Option 1: [[High impact journal recommended by your advisor]] ] (else:)[ * Option 1: [[High impact journal recommended by your advisor]] (You've already done this!) ] (if: $Grad1B is 0)[ * Option 2: [[Open access journal a librarian helped you find]] ] (else:)[ * Option 2: [[Open access journal a librarian helped you find]] (You've already done this!) ] (if: $Grad1C is 0)[ * Option 3: [[Journal a co-author at another institution likes]] ] (else:)[ * Option 3: [[Journal a co-author at another institution likes]] (You've already done this!) ] [[Choose a different character->Start]] }

{ (set: $FacultyStarted to 1) # Faculty Member You’re finally an assistant professor. You can do this the rest of your life... as long as you get tenure! To do that, you need to make sure you publish a few high impact articles as well as a monograph. Which will you worry about first? (if: $Faculty_impact is 0)[ [[Pick a high impact journal->Pick a High Impact Journal]] ] (else-if: $Faculty_impact_paywall_scholar + $Faculty_impact_oa is 0)[ [[Continue looking for a way to publish in a high impact journal->Pick a High Impact Journal]] ] (else-if: $Faculty_impact_paywall_scholar + $Faculty_impact_oa is 1)[ [[Find another way to publish in a high impact journal->Pick a High Impact Journal]] ] (else:)[ [[Publish in a high impact journal->Pick a High Impact Journal]] (You've already done this!) ] (if: $Faculty_mono is 0)[ [[Publish your monograph->Publish a Monograph]] ] (else:)[ [[Publish your monograph|Publish a Monograph]] (You've already done this!) ] [[Choose a different character->Start]] }

{ (set: $UnderGrad1D to 1) #Publisher’s site The professor of your class happened to write an article on this very topic - he would love it if you cited his paper! But the library doesn’t have a subscription - how can that be? Did you know that universities don’t automatically have access to research outputs produced by researchers at that institution? Libraries must buy back access to articles, conference proceedings and more through pricey publisher subscriptions. The Libraries subscription to Elsevier alone costs nearly as much as <a href="https://www.goodstoneinc.com/blogs/news/the-10-most-expensive-celebrity-engagement-rings-goodstone" target="_blank">Hailey Beiber’s engagement ring</a>, every year! * [[Spend $40]] for 24 hours of access to your professor’s article <a href="https://pixabay.com/vectors/ring-cartoon-diamond-big-isolated-309550/" target="_blank"><img id="ring" src="ring.png"></a> }

{ iiiiii #Google Scholar <img src="UnderGrad-01.png" > (text-color:"#A2A4A3")[<a href="https://scholar.google.com/" target="_blank">Google Scholar</a> is an interdisciplinary academic search engine.] You search Google Scholar and find another article that provides a different point of view on your argument. Unfortunately, the library doesn’t have access to the article. You can request it through Inter-Library Loan (ILL) and get it within a few hours. You also remember a friend mentioning a plugin called Unpaywall which points to open access versions of articles behind a paywall. (if: $UnderGrad1B is 0)[ * I’ll order some Thai and request it through [[ILL]] ] (else:)[ * I’ll order some Thai and request it through [[ILL]] (You've already done this!) ] (if: $UnderGrad1C is 0)[ * I need to finish this paper now, let’s look through [[Unpaywall]] ] (else:)[ * I need to finish this paper now, let’s look through [[Unpaywall]] (You've already done this!) ] }

{ (set: $UnderGrad1A to 1) (if: $UnderGrad2A is 0)[ (set: $articles to $articles +1) ] (else:)[ ] (Set: $UnderGrad2A to 1) #Onesearch <img src="OneSearch.png" > (text-color:"#A2A4A3")[OneSearch is a discovery database for all resources available and paid through the libraries.] You conduct a quick keyword search on Libraries OneSearch and find a journal article published through SpringerNature that supports your argument through a scientific study. You download the article easily, cite it in your paper, and you are ready to find another article that supports the argument in your paper. Did you know? The Libraries subscription to Springer Nature costs more than a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_918_Spyder" target="_blank">Porsche 918 Spyder</a> every year? [[(Back to search options)|Undergrad Student]] <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Porsche_918_Spyder_Blue.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="spyder.jpg"></a> }

{ (set: $UnderGradComplete to 1) #Success! <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alma_Mater_Europaea_university_graduation_ceremony._Maribor,_Slovenia,_12_March_2013.png" target="_blank"><img src="success.png" ></a> You successfully gathered all the articles you needed! You finish your essay and manage to get it in by the deadline. [[Go back and explore another topic?|Start]] }

{ (set: $UnderGrad1B to 1) (set: $GoogSchol to $GoogSchol +1) (if: $UnderGrad2B is 0)[ (set: $articles to $articles +1) ] (else:)[ ] (Set: $UnderGrad2B to 1) #ILL <img src="ILL.png" > (text-color:"#A2A4A3")[<a href="https://libraries.colorado.edu/services/borrowing-other-libraries/interlibrary-loan" target="_blank">Inter-Library Loan (ILL)</a> is a free document delivery service offered to CU Boulder affiliates. Most requests for digital articles can be filled within a few hours]. You eat some Thai, get a few hours of sleep, and wake in the morning to the article in your inbox. You get it cited and are almost ready to turn in your paper. Did you know last year CU Libraries filled nearly 13k ILL requests for articles and books! [[(Back to search options)|Undergrad Student]] }

{ (set: $UnderGrad1C to 1) (set: $GoogSchol to $GoogSchol +1) (if: $UnderGrad2C is 0)[ (set: $articles to $articles +1) ] (else:)[ ] (Set: $UnderGrad2C to 1) #Unpaywall <img src="unpaywall.png" > You install the extension for <a href="https://unpaywall.org/products/extension" target="_blank">Unpaywall</a>, an open database of over 54 million free articles. It turns out the author of the article you needed posted a version on an institutional repository. You cite the article in your paper, which you are almost ready to turn in, and you still have some time left to pop a pizza in the oven! [[(Back to search options)|Undergrad Student]] }

{ Oh no! You can’t spend $40 - that’s nearly your whole takeout budget for the week! Also, if you had spent $40 for the article, did you know none of that money would go to your professor? Unless an author publishes their work open access, they typically sign away all rights to the work, meaning they no longer have many rights to share and distribute the work themselves, to students or the public. How about looking for the article in [[CU Scholar, our institutional repository]]. }

{ (set: $Grad1A to 1) #Option 1: Advisor’s journal <a href="https://pixabay.com/vectors/button-icon-symbol-castle-locked-7850709/" target="_blank"><img src="grad-02.png" width="320"></a> This is a great, high impact journal, but you found out the acceptance rate is very low and the journal is behind a paywall, which means people won’t be able to access it unless they are affiliated with an institution that has a subscription or if they pay $50. Options: * [[Submit your article to this journal anyway]] * Go back to [[options|Grad Student]]. }

{ # Option 2: Librarian's Journal <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DOAJ_logo-black-whitespace.svg" target="_blank"><img src="grad-03.png"></a> Your librarian helped you explore open access options in your field though the <a href="https://doaj.org/" target="_blank">Directory of Open Access Journals</a> (DOAJ), a database of over 20k quality OA journals in every field. Before too long, you found a trustworthy journal widely read in your field. * [[Publish here]] * Go back and pick a different journal (back to [[options|Grad Student]]) }

{ (set: $Grad1C to 1) #Option 3: Co-author's journal <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nature_logo_2019.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="grad-04.jpg" ></a> Your co-author recommended an open access journal but it has a $6,000 article processing charge (APC)-what do you do? * [[Try to find the funds to pay]] * Go back to [[options|Grad Student]] Did you know some journals charge APCs for open access? The average APC is more than $2,000, and prestigious publishers like Nature charge up to $12,000 per article! Recent estimates suggest CU Boulder authors <a href="https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/reports/xs55mf200" target="_blank">may spend up to $6 million per year on APC costs</a>! }

{ (set: $Grad1B to 1) Great news! The journal you found is Diamond open access, meaning it charges no fees to make articles openly available to everyone! Your article is widely read and you have enough money left over to order takeout sushi this weekend! [[Ending]] }

{ (set: $GradComplete to 1) #Success! Your article was published and you’re getting great attention for your work. Go back and explore another topic? [[Go back to start|Start]] }

{ # Pricey You found $3,000 in departmental funds but you’d have to pay the rest out of pocket * [[Ask your co-author to split costs]] * Go to find a new journal (Back to [[options|Grad Student]]) }

{ #Success, but at what cost? You and your co-author each pay $1,500 out of pocket to publish the article Open Access. Oh, no, you’ve lost your takeout budget! Don’t lose your boba and coffee budget in the future: explore OA funding support for APCs through the Libraries' <a href="https://libraries.colorado.edu/research-assistance/open-access/support-open-access" target="_blank">Support for Open Access Resources and Publishing</a>. ([[Go back to top level options|Grad Student]]) <img src="grad-05.png" > }

{ (set: $Faculty_impact to 1) # Pick a High Impact Journal Being a professor is hard! You need to get this article published. What do you do? (if: $Faculty_impact_paywall is 0)[ [[Submit to the first journal you find and order Chinese takeout->Paywall]] ] (else:)[ [[Submit to the first journal you find and order Chinese takeout|Paywall]]. (You already did this!) ] (if: $Faculty_impact_oa is 0)[ [[Take 5 minutes to explore the library’s “Support for Open Access” webpage->Extra Citations]] ] (else:)[ [[Take 5 minutes to explore the library’s “Support for Open Access” webpage->Extra Citations]] (You already did this!) ] (text-color:"#A2A4A3")[Find Journals included in our open access agreements search tool and more using the Libraries' <a href="https://libraries.colorado.edu/research-assistance/open-access/support-open-access" target="_blank">Support for Open Access Resources and Publishing</a> page!] [[Choose a different character->Start]] }

{ (set: $Faculty_mono to 1) # Publish a Monograph Your first monograph has been accepted by a great university press - Congratulations! The publisher says you can publish the monograph open access but you have to find $15,000 in funding. What do you do? (if: $Faculty_mono_self is 0)[ [[Try to find `$15k` yourself->Pay for your own monograph]] ] (else: )[ [[Try to find `$15k` yourself.|Pay for your own monograph]] (You already did this!) ] (if: $Faculty_mono_thai is 0)[ [[You’d rather order from a new Thai place than think about all of that! You won’t make the monograph open access->Thai]] ] (else:)[ [[You’d rather order from a new Thai place than think about all of that! You won’t make the monograph open access.|Thai]] (You already did this!) ] (if: $Faculty_mono_open is 0)[ [[Research funding options at your university->Open Monograph Fund]] ] (else:)[ [[Research funding options at your university.|Open Monograph Fund]] (You already did this!) ] [[Choose a different character->Start]] }

{ (set: $Faculty_impact_paywall to 1) # Submit to the first journal you find The journal you picked ended up being closed access. Your article sits behind a paywall where less people can see and cite it. What do you do? (if: $Faculty_impact_paywall_pizza is 0)[ [[Nothing - it’s pizza o’clock!->Pizza]] ] (else:)[ [[Nothing - it's pizza o'clock!|Pizza]] (You've already done this!)) ] (if: $Faculty_impact_paywall_scholar is 0)[ [[Take 5 minutes to self-archive the article in CU Scholar->CU Scholar]] ] (else:)[ [[Take 5 minutes to self-archive the article in CU Scholar.|CU Scholar]] (You've already done this!) ] }

{ (set: $FacultyComplete to 1) # Apply for Tenure You feel confident going up for tenure because you made sure your work had the most impact and discoverability. (if: $Faculty_impact_oa is 0 or $Faculty_impact_paywall_scholar is 0)[ [[Explore another path to publishing an impactful article.|Pick a High Impact Journal]] ] [[Choose another topic to learn about->Start]] }

{ (set: $Faculty_impact_oa to 1) # Explore the library’s “Support for OA” webpage By exploring the Libraries' <a href="https://libraries.colorado.edu/research-assistance/open-access/support-open-access" target="_blank">Support for Open Access</a> page, you found a great journal with open access APCs fully supported by the library. Your CV is looking great and your article got about 15% more citations than it would have if you had published in a closed access journal. (if: $Faculty_mono is 0)[ [[Time to publish a monograph->Publish a Monograph]] ] (else-if: $Faculty_mono_open_publish is 0)[ [[Go back and figure out how to publish that monograph->Publish a Monograph]] ] (else:) [ [[Time to apply for tenure->Tenure]] ] }

{ (set: $Faculty_impact_paywall_pizza to 1) # Pizza O' Clock It’s time for tenure review and your citation counts are low. Also, you spent all your takeout money on pizza and Chinese food. Oh no! [[Learn what else you can try->Paywall]] }

{ (set: $Faculty_impact_paywall_scholar to 1) # Self-archive in CU Scholar <img src="CU-Scholar.png"> Your work being in CU Scholar brought a ton of new attention, and a few additional citations as well. CU Scholar is the university’s institutional repository, serving the research and teaching mission of CU Boulder. Did you know CU Scholar hosts and provides public access to over 4k scholarly articles, plus datasets, dissertations, and more? (if: $Faculty_mono is 0)[ [[Time to publish a monograph->Publish a Monograph]] ] (else-if: $Faculty_mono_open_publish is 0)[ [[Go back and figure out how to publish that monograph->Publish a Monograph]] ] (else:) [[It's time to apply for tenure!->Tenure]] }

{ (set: $Faculty_mono_self to 1) # Try to find `$15k` yourself You don’t have `$15k` lying around, silly - you’re an assistant professor! [[Back to options->Publish a Monograph]] }

{ (set: $Faculty_mono_thai to 1) Thai food is delicious and your monograph does well, but you have a hard time getting metrics on its citation and use. [[Go back to options->Publish a Monograph]] }

{ (set: $Faculty_mono_open to 1) # Research funding options at the university You do 5 minutes of research and find the Libraries have an <a href="https://libraries.colorado.edu/research/open-access/cub-open-monograph-fund" target="_blank">Open Monograph Fund</a> for up to `$15k` to make a monograph open access. What do you do? (if: $Faculty_mono_open_publish is 0)[ [[Ask your editor to complete the application->Published Monograph]] ] (else:)[ [[Ask your editor to complete the application.|Published Monograph]] (You already did this!) ] (if: $Faculty_mono_open_ethiopian is 0)[ [[Whoops you forgot because you were ordering Ethiopian food!->Ethiopian]] ] (else:)[ [[Whoops you forgot because you were ordering Ethiopian food!|Ethiopian]] (You already did this!) ] }

{ (set: $Faculty_mono_open_ethiopian to 1) # Order Ethiopian Oh no, you spent all your takeout budget again! [[Go back and ask the editor->Open Monograph Fund]] }

{ (set: $Faculty_mono_open_publish to 1) # Apply for the Open Monograph Fund Your application is accepted and you publish your monograph open access at no cost to you. Your monograph finds attention and impact both within and outside of the university because it was discoverable and accessible. (if: $Faculty_impact_paywall_scholar is 1 or $Faculty_impact_oa is 1)[ [[It's time to apply for tenure!->Tenure]] ] (else-if: $Faculty_impact is 0)[ [[Time to publish in a high impact journal->Pick a High Impact Journal]] ] (else:)[ [[Go back and figure out how to publish in a high impact journal->Pick a High Impact Journal]] ] }

{ (set: $UnderGrad1D to 1) (if: $UnderGrad2D is 0)[ (set: $articles to $articles +1) ] (else:)[ ] (Set: $UnderGrad2D to 1) #CU Scholar <img src="CU-Scholar.png" > (text-color:"#A2A4A3")[ <a href="https://scholar.colorado.edu/" target="_blank">CU Scholar</a> is the University’s institutional repository, serving the research and teaching mission of CU Boulder. Did you know that CU Scholar hosts and provides public access to over 4000 scholarly articles, plus datasets, dissertations, and more? As of September 2025, CU Scholar hosts nearly 20k Open Access items with nearly 36k downloads in 2024 alone!] Thankfully, your professor deposited a copy of the article into CU Scholar and you were able to use it for your essay! [[(Back to search options)|Undergrad Student]] }

{ (set: $UnderGrad1A to 0) (set: $UnderGrad1B to 0) (set: $UnderGrad1C to 0) (set: $UnderGrad1D to 0) (Set: $UnderGrad2A to 0) (Set: $UnderGrad2B to 0) (Set: $UnderGrad2C to 0) (Set: $UnderGrad2D to 0) (set: $UnderGradComplete to 0) (set: $GoogSchol to 0) (set: $articles to 0) (set: $GradStarted to 0) (set: $Grad1A to 0) (set: $Grad1B to 0) (set: $Grad1C to 0) (set: $GradComplete to 0) (set: $FacultyStarted to 0) (set: $Faculty_impact to 0) (set: $Faculty_impact_oa to 0) (set: $Faculty_impact_paywall to 0) (set: $Faculty_impact_paywall_scholar to 0) (set: $Faculty_mono to 0) (set: $Faculty_mono_self to 0) (set: $Faculty_mono_thai to 0) (set: $Faculty_mono_open to 0) (set: $Faculty_mono_open_ethiopian to 0) (set: $Faculty_mono_open_publish to 0) (set: $FacultyComplete to 0) }

{ Oh no, your article gets rejected! You’ll need to submit to a different journal. * (Go back to [[options|Grad Student]]) }