Open Access and Responsible Research: Preparing Future Faculty at the University of Kansas

Abstract

The University of Kansas (KU) is planning for open access to ETDs in its institutional repository, KU ScholarWorks. The KU Libraries are working to educate graduate students about copyright, fair use, and open access to research as part of its scholarly communications program. This paper will describe the ETD program and scholarly communication initiatives KU has tailored for graduate students. The KU School of Graduate Studies, with assistance from the Libraries, administers the University’s ETD program. In January 2005, a task force comprising faculty and staff from the School and the Libraries formed to implement electronic submission of theses and dissertations quickly and at minimal cost. KU instituted mandatory submission of electronic theses and dissertations for December 2005 graduates following a small pilot study earlier that year. KU held workshops to prepare students for the electronic submission process. However, most students’ questions were not about technology, but issues such as copyright and fair use. A need existed to educate students about copyright issues at the research stage rather than after they had finished writing. In response, the Libraries expanded its scholarly communication program to include workshops to help prepare graduate students for future roles as readers, researchers, authors, and instructors. The University opted to use a commercial product for submissions to avoid the need for system development and maintenance. However, open access to ETDs remained an issue because the University is committed to addressing scholarly communications issues and encouraging open access to research. Faculty members consistently identify dissertations as desirable content for KU ScholarWorks. The paper outlines the process by which KU plans to implement open access to ETDs in 2007, with no additional effort by students or the Graduate School. The educational offerings and KU’s plan to assess the impact of these initiatives on its research community is described.