Open Access Week 2016: Think, Check, Submit

October 28, 2016 Marlo MacKay

As a researcher, of course you want to share the results of your work with a broad audience. And publishing in an open access journal can be a great way to to increase the citation advantage of your research: http://sparceurope.org/oaca/ But how do you know which journals to trust? There is a growing list of predatory journals that exist only to collect fees from authors.

Predatory journals exploit the Open Access publishing business model whereby authors pay a fee to make their work freely available to the public. These predatory journals pose as high-quality Open Access journals but fail to deliver meaningful editorial and peer review. These pseudo-academic journals aren’t just low quality, they actively intend to deceive others about the quality of the journal as they indiscriminately publish articles and collect fees from authors.

Predatory journals can be difficult to identify, so here is a list of ways to recognize them:

Unless you are familiar with the journal as being a well-established journal, if a journal is directly soliciting you for a submission … it’s probably a predatory journal.
Promises of quick turn-around times for review and publication is often a tactic used by predatory publishers.
Scrutinize editorial boards. Look for no academic affiliation or fake affiliations.
Be wary of lack of clarity around Author Processing Charges (APCs).
Ensure that you can easily identify and contact the publisher.
Look for false claims about where the journal is indexed (check these indexes, if possible to verify these claims.
Look for publisher names and journal titles with geographic references that have no connection to the scope of the publisher or the journal.

Think, Check, Submit, provides a simple assessment framework to help scholars identify trustworthy journals. It is a cross-industry initiative led by representatives from ALPSP, DOAJ, INASP, ISSN, LIBER, OASPA, STM, UKSG, and individual publishers.

Open Access Week 2016: Managing Research Data

October 27, 2016 Marlo MacKay

by Erin MacPherson
Research & Instruction Librarian

Managing data is an essential, on-going part of the research process. There are many reasons to manage research data, perhaps one of the most obvious is to protect data loss from disasters, theft or technological failure. However, there are many other reasons why one would want to manage research data, including making it publicly accessible.

In June 2016, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) (“the Tri-Agencies”), adopted the Tri-Agency Statement of Principles on Digital Data Management that addresses specific aspects and expectations of digital data management.

The Tri-Agencies are publicly funded and one of their goals is to promote access to research results. In addition to providing greater access, other benefits include reducing duplication, encouraging reuse and advancing knowledge. In addition, this is also an opportunity to highlight Canadian researchers (Government of Canada, 2016). Even if you have data that is not funded through the tri-agencies, you may be interested in digital data management.

How can the Dal Libraries help you with data management?

Data management is an evolving service, but we encourage you to check out the following resources or contact us at data.management@dal.ca for assistance.

The Dalhousie Libraries has many tools to help that can help you:

DMP Assistant: https://assistant.portagenetwork.ca/users/sign_up
Developed by the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) Portage Network, the DMP Assistant is a free tool for you to develop a data management plan. This tool will take you through the complete process from data collection to preservation to develop a solid data management plan.
Workshops: Sign up for one of our data management planning workshops. We’ll review the “what, why, when, where and how” of data management and introduce you to the DMP Assistant. Check the library news on our website for future events: http://libraries.dal.ca/
DalSpace: Our institutional repository, a digital service that collects, preserves, and distributes digital material produced by the Dalhousie community. Stay tuned for future updates on data repositories as we prepare to launch our version of Dataverse, a research data repository.
Research Data Management Subject Guide: Our subject guide provides information on data management from planning tools and guidelines to finding a suitable repository. Check it out: http://dal.ca.libguides.com/rdm

Reference

Government of Canada. (2016). Tri-Agency statement of principles on digital data management. Retrieved from http://www.science.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=83F7624E-1

Open Access Week 2016: Tri-Agency Open Access Publishing

October 26, 2016 Marlo MacKay

On February 27, 2015, the Tri-Agency Policy on Publications was announced: “Grant recipients are required to ensure that any peer-reviewed journal publications arising from Agency-supported research are freely accessible within 12 months of publication.”

For research funded in whole or in part by NSERC or SSHRC, this policy applies to all grants awarded May 1, 2015 and onward. While not required, researchers holding grants that were awarded prior to May 1, 2015 are encouraged to adhere to the requirements of this policy.

For research funded in whole or in part by CIHR, this policy applies to all grants awarded January 1, 2008 and onward. While not required, researchers holding grants that were awarded prior to January 1, 2008 are encouraged to adhere to the requirements of this policy.

The Tri-Agency is recommending two paths to satisfy the open access policy:

Green Route (Online Repositories) – Deposit your article in an online repository. As the official repository for Dalhousie University, depositing in DalSpace fulfills this requirement. Another Green option available to scholars is to deposit your content into a subject-based disciplinary repository. The Tri-Agency recommends that scholars search OpenDOAR to determine if a site qualifies as an open access repository.

Gold Route (Journals) – Publish your research in a journal that permits immediate open access to the article. Many journals charge a fee to authors to make the article open access. This fee is called an author processing fee or charge and can be included in your budget as part of your application for funding.

Please note that it is the responsibility of the grant recipient to determine which publishers allow authors to archive journal publications in accordance with funding agency policies. You can check the open access restrictions of many journals using Sherpa-Romeo. For additional information on author rights, including how to amend the standard author rights agreements see the Copyright tab in this guide.

For assistance with either of the above options, please contact the Dalhousie Libraries at scholarly.communications@dal.ca

Happy Canadian Library Workers Day!

October 21, 2016 Marlo MacKay

A gathering of Dal Libraries staff in 2012.

Today is the national day for celebrating Canadian Library Workers. We just want to say thank you to all of our library staff at the Sir James Dunn Law Library, the Kellogg Health Sciences Library, the Killam Memorial Library, the MacRae Library, and the Sexton Design & Technology Library who make the Dal Libraries run so well.

And check out this awesome post from the Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA) on the topic. The co-chair is our own University Librarian, Donna Bourne-Tyson.

Great libraries can be about great collections or great buildings but in the 21st century they’re also about great people. Without library workers libraries simply cannot function. Libraries rely on their staff to provide service to their communities and to help their libraries and communities grow. The vital contribution of library workers to libraries and communities across our country deserves national recognition.

CFLA-FCAB has designated the third Friday in October as Canadian Library Workers Day. CLWD is a day for Canadians to recognize the valuable contributions made by all those who work in and for the public, academic, school, government, academic, corporate and private libraries that are integral to our communities.

Canadian Library Workers Day is recognized during Canadian Library Month, an annual celebration of libraries, library workers, and the services they provide to their communities.

On behalf of the Canadian Federation of Library Associations / Fédération Canadienne des Associations de Bibliothèques (CFLA-FCAB) we are very pleased to proclaim October 21, 2016 as Canadian Library Workers Day.

Donna Bourne-Tyson & Paul Takala
Co-Chairs, CFLA-FCAB

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves!

Events for International Open Access Week 2016

October 17, 2016 Marlo MacKay

International Open Access Week runs from October 24–30. But, what is Open Access Week and why should it matter to Dalhousie students and faculty?

Open Access Week provides an opportunity for academics and researchers 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 that will make Open Access a new norm in scholarship and research. (from the Open Access Week website)

The principles of Open Access are founded on ideas of public access to publicly funded research, author rights, availability of educational resources, and affordable access to materials for educational institutions. The Dalhousie Libraries are pleased to be using these principles to bring the research activities of Dalhousie to the world.

To mark Open Access Week, the Dalhousie Libraries are presenting workshops, and a film screening with SIM faculty member Ryan Whalen.

Tuesday October 25

Creating a Data Management Plan Using DMP Assistant with Sarah Stevenson
If you have a grant application that requires a data management plan and you’re not sure what’s required or where to start, this workshop is for you. We’ll use the Data Management Plan Assistant tool from Portage Network Canada for a selected case study. You’ll learn how to address the key areas of data collection, documentation and metadata, storage and backup, preservation, sharing and reuse, responsibilities, and ethics and legal compliance. This workshop is limited to 20 participants and registration is required. Contact carol.richardson@dal.ca to register. Laptops will be provided for the session.
12–1 p.m.
Science Academic Resource Centre in the Wallace McCain Learning Commons

Screening of The Internet’s Own Boy: the story of Aaron Swartz
Aaron Swartz was an internet activist who committed suicide in 2013. At the time of his death, Swartz was under federal indictment after downloading many academic journal articles through the MIT computer network from JSTOR. This screning will be introduced by SIM faculty member Ryan Whalen.
6:30 p.m.
Killam Library Program Room (fifth floor)

Thursday, October 27

Creating a Data Management Plan Using DMP Assistant with Erin MacPherson
If you have a grant application that requires a data management plan and you’re not sure what’s required or where to start, this workshop is for you. We’ll use the Data Management Plan Assistant tool from Portage Network Canada for a selected case study. You’ll learn how to address the key areas of data collection, documentation and metadata, storage and backup, preservation, sharing and reuse, responsibilities, and ethics and legal compliance. This workshop is limited to 10 participants and registration is required. Contact erin.macpherson@dal.ca to register. Laptops will be provided for the session.
1:30–2:20 p.m.
Cobequid Boardroom, MacRae Library

Food for Fines Starts October 17

October 14, 2016 Marlo MacKay

Food for Fines, the annual food drive of Novanet, will take place for the second time this year, starting October 17 and running until November 6.

This is a chance for you to wipe out your fines while supporting your community through donations to the food bank. Win-win!

The details:

Value of fines waived per food item donated is $3 There is no cap on the amount of fines waived (you cannot waive fees for lost or damaged items with food donations, though)
Food donations will be given to the Dalhousie Student Union Food Bank, Feed Nova Scotia, and the Colchester Food Bank
Dalhousie students, faculty and staff are eligible to take part.

Thanksgiving hours at the Dalhousie Libraries & Learning Commons

October 5, 2016 Marlo MacKay

Sir James Dunn Law Library ———————> 9 a.m.–10:45 p.m.
Kellogg Library Learning Commons (CHEB) —> 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Kellogg Library Collection (Chapter House) —-> 1–4 p.m.
Killam Memorial Library ————————–> 1–9 p.m.
MacRae Library ————————————> 10 a.m.–11 p.m.
Sexton Design & Technology Library ————> 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Wallace McCain Learning Commons ————> 1:30–8:30 p.m.

Meet Alexandra Jokinen, our new Digital Archives Intern

September 19, 2016 Creighton Barrett

This week, the University Archives begin an exciting Digital Archives Internship funded in part by a grant from the Young Canada Works Building Careers in Heritage Program. Alexandra Jokinen joins the Archives team as Digital Archives Intern and will work with Digital Archivist Creighton Barrett on the development of policies and procedures for some key aspects of the Archives’ growing digital archives program. We are very pleased to welcome Alexandra to the Dalhousie Libraries for this project!

What drew you to the Young Canada Works Digital Archives Internship at Dal?
I have a sincere interest in the preservation of historical and cultural records and I was very intrigued by utilizing digital preservation to advance the work of the Dalhousie University Archives. In today’s ever-changing digital world, long-term preservation is critical in providing access to digital information in the future. As a recent graduate, this internship will allow me to develop valuable and competitive skills in the field that will further my career as an archivist.

What kind of work will you be doing during your Internship?
As the Digital Archives Intern, I will be working over a period of 28 weeks to develop digital preservation policies and procedures that touch on all aspects of archival work — acquisitions, appraisal, arrangement, description, and preservation. Digital preservation policies and procedures are essential to ensure adherence to the scope and mandate of an institution. They outline an organization’s mission to protect its digital assets and define the role a digital preservation strategy plays in carrying out those objectives. It is important work and I am eager to meet the challenges of the position.

Your educational background:
I have spent several years in school preparing myself to work within the domain of libraries and archives. Last fall, I graduated with a master’s degree from Ryerson University in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management. Prior to that, I obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Art History, Criticism and Conservation at the University of Guelph.

What excites you about moving to Halifax?
The seafood (!!!) and living in close proximity to the ocean. I have toured Canada and lived in various cities throughout the country, but I have never had the opportunity to explore the east coast. I am excited to experience the culture, meet new people and learn new things. Also, I hear Halifax is home to some talented musicians, so I am definitely looking forward to discovering the music scene.

Fun and interesting facts about you:
Halifax will be the ninth city I have lived in. I have a passion for travelling and spent a semester of my undergraduate degree studying art and architecture in Paris. I love film, photography and listening to music. I am also a big foodie and craft beer enthusiast.

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