This year’s
International Open Access Week will take place from
October 25-31, 2021. The theme for this year is
“It Matters How We Open Knowledge: Building Structural Equity.”
The theme intentionally aligns with UNESCO’s (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Recommendation on Open Science, which is expected to define shared values and principles for open science and identify concrete measures on open access and open data, with proposals to bring citizens closer to science and commitments to facilitate the production and dissemination of scientific knowledge around the world. The recommendation from UNESCO states that the importance of equity in pursuing a future for scholarship can be open by default.
The idea of open science should be embracive of diversity. The UNESCO recommendation will provide guidance for governments worldwide as they implement more open research practices in time. “It Matters How We Open Knowledge: Building Structural Equity” follows UNESCO’s recommendation and calls for equality of participation for all producers and consumers of knowledge.
International Open Access Week will be a time for the community to take action in making openness in research the immediate default. Organizers and participants of International Open Access Week are encouraged to host panels and conversations around the theme not just during this specified week, but also at any time during the year when the topic is suitable and most relatable in their own local atmosphere.
As open access grows and develops in communities of research, academics, and publishing, International Open Access Week is more important than ever as it creates the opportunity to begin new conversations, connections, and ideas through different communities to advance progress in opening knowledge and increasing awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion time and time again.
More information on the kickoff to International Open Access Week will be announced in the coming weeks and will be available on the Open Access Week
webpage. To follow along through conversations and posts about OA Week digitally, the official Twitter hashtag for International Open Access Week is #OAWeek.
IGI Global encourages those interested in expanding their knowledge not just on open access, but in diversity, inclusion, and openness of research to take advantage of this year’s OA week and the resources available through it. Also, anyone interested in learning more about IGI Global’s open access activities can visit the following webpage
here, and also learn more about how IGI Global is committed to the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) movement
here.
About International Open Access Week
International Open Access Week is organized by
SPARC in partnership with an
advisory committee and serves as an opportunity for the academic and research community to continue to learn about the potential benefits of open access, to share what they’ve learned with colleagues, and to help inspire wider participation in helping to make open access a new norm in scholarship and research.
Learn MoreAbout IGI Global
Founded in 1988, IGI Global, an international academic publisher, is committed to producing the highest quality research (as an active full member of the Committee on Publication Ethics “COPE”) and ensuring the timely dissemination of innovative research findings through an expeditious and technologically advanced publishing process. Through their commitment to supporting the research community ahead of profitability, and taking a chance on virtually untapped topic coverage, IGI Global has been able to collaborate with over 150,000+ researchers from some of the most prominent research institutions around the world to publish the most emerging, peer-reviewed research across 350+ topics in 11 subject areas including business, computer science, education, engineering, social sciences, and more. Learn more about IGI Global here.
Newsroom Contact
Caroline Campbell
Assistant Director of Marketing and Sales
(717) 533-8845, ext. 144
ccampbell@igi-global.com
www.igi-global.com