Open Access News

News from the open access movement


Thursday, October 18, 2007

Background on the OA policy at the SSHRC

Christian Sylvain, Open Access and SSHRC, a presentation at Open Access: the New World of Research Communication (Ottawa, October 12, 2007). 

Abstract:   The presenter, Christian Sylvain, is the Director, Policy, Planning, and International Affairs of Canada's Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the primary funding agency for social sciences and humanities research in Canada. This session presents an overview of open access at SSHRC, beginning with the endorsement of the concept of open access by SSHRC Council in 2004. The objective is to remove barriers to access to publicly funded research, so as to increase circulation and impact. SSHRC funds research, and also has a subsidy program for academic journals in Canada. Discusses why SSHRC policy encourages rather than requires open access. SSHRC's focus is development of infrastructure, including the Synergies program, and plans to mainstream support for Open Access in the Aid to Journals program.