For those interested in knowing more about open access, this is the perfect time and opportunity to do so. The International Open Access Week 2022 (October 24-30) holds the world’s attention as it offers diverse perspectives on open access publishing. This year’s theme is Open for Climate Justice, which aims to encourage free and open knowledge sharing, global innovation, and the collaborative action required to address the climate crisis.
What is Open Access Week and what can researchers learn in 2022?
The International Open Access Week was established in 2008 and is an annual community-led event organized by the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) in collaboration with the Open Access Week Advisory Committee.1 This global event provides all key stakeholders in academia – researchers, publishers, journals, and academic societies – a chance to come together to discuss and learn more about the open access movement and the best practices around open access publishing.
During Open Access Week, several well-known institutions, organizations, and industry experts come together to talk about the theme of the year. As a researcher, these conversations allow you to hear differing perspectives on making research openly available, understand the potential benefits and challenges of open access, and gain insights on how to navigate the open access publishing landscape.
Why is the Open for Climate Justice theme important?
This year’s theme Open for Climate Justice focuses on a topic that has been in the news for several years – fast and free access to research related to climate change. In a joint appeal for open science by OHCHR, CERN, WHO and UNESCO in 2020, Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, advocated the “broadest possible sharing of scientific knowledge, and the broadest possible access to the benefits of scientific knowledge. This is key to any effective public health policy. It is essential to the combat against climate change. And it is a fundamental matter of human right.”2
Tackling any global crisis requires a rapid sharing of knowledge across disciplinary, economic and geographic boundaries. But it doesn’t stop there. Open Science is also about nurturing and including the contributions of people across the globe, whose views and needs are often overlooked.2 Through its theme of Climate Justice, Open Access Week 2022 recognizes the imbalances between knowledge and action, with open access seen as the equalizer. It envisions openness as a default for research in climate and environmental science, which in turn would help shape further research into climate change and the world’s response to it.
How can you be a part of Open Access Week 2022?
Climate Justice is a well-chosen theme considering the need for urgent action to curb climate change and its impact. The free, rapid sharing of data and knowledge online can not only benefit researchers but also other audiences, including advocacy groups, key policymakers, and normal citizens. CACTUS is joining the conversation with some exciting activities planned during this event, so sign up now to join us during International Open Access Week 2022!
References
- Theme for Open Access Week 2022: Open for Climate Justice [Accessed October 3, 2022] https://www.openaccessweek.org/blog/theme-for-open-access-week-2022-open-for-climate-justice
- Bachelet, M. A Joint Appeal for Open Science by CERN, OHCHR, UNESCO and WHO. October 2020. [Accessed October 3, 2022] https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2020/10/joint-appeal-open-science-cern-ohchr-unesco-and-who
