#UKSGInsights

This article explores the transformative role of the digital library at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD), particularly within the Institute of Inner‑City Learning’s (IICL) Birmingham campus, where students engage exclusively with online resources. It highlights the collaborative efforts of academic liaison librarians and digital skills advisors in delivering a fully digital library service that is both inclusive and future ready. Emphasizing the importance of digital literacy, personalized support and curriculum integration. The article underscores how library services contribute directly to student success and employability. It argues that strategic investment in digital library infrastructure and support services enhances academic outcomes and prepares students for the evolving demands of the workforce. Ongoing challenges, including digital equity, accessibility and the ethical implications of AI are also addressed, while a future of expanded access, increased staff engagement and deeper integration into the academic experience is envisioned.

The latest from #UKSGInsights: Olivia Edmonds and Taran Johal @uwtsd.bsky.social "The digital library: redefining access and engagement at University of Wales Trinity St David, Birmingham campus" dub.sh/xomcW9U

New from #UKSGInsights: Identifying undetected hijacked journals in medical science: a linkage analysis; Hegedus et al dub.sh/CaXERBi

The latest from #UKSGInsights Peter Barr (@tweeterbarr.bsky.social) re: @unisheffieldlib.bsky.social "The collections concept at the University of Sheffield: a varied approach to the role of research library collections" dub.sh/bKwiJWt

The latest from #UKSGInsights - Malik Sallam, University of Jordan "Back to the roots: reimagining scientific evaluation of research without peer review" dub.sh/JMTfBvm

The latest from #UKSGInsights "Repository renewal project: a case study from White Rose Libraries" by Thom Blake (@akadidymus.bsky.social, @uoylibrary.bsky.social), Andy Bussey (@unisheffieldlib.bsky.social) and Kate Petherbridge (@wrunipress.bsky.social) - doi.org/10.1629/uksg...

Ten years after his first article on the subject @rickanderson.bsky.social looks back on "Ten years of a ‘quiet culture war’: where does it stand now?" for #UKSGInsights dub.sh/kih9XK7

The latest from #UKSGInsights "Thoughts on how scholar‑led publishing can overcome the effect of the prestige economy" by Andrew R Du Rocher, @sheffieldhallamuni.bsky.social dub.sh/GyOFC1N

The importance of inclusive and balanced collections in libraries and archives | Insights

#UKSGInsights. We’re delighted to publish this article by Gali Halevi about inclusive collections insights.uksg.org/articles/10....

The latest from #UKSGInsights - Gali Halevi from @clockssarchive.bsky.social "The importance of inclusive and balanced collections in libraries and archives" dub.sh/q4sBBZ9

Higher education institution (HEI) libraries in the UK undertake a variety of interlibrary loan (ILL) and document supply operations, against a current background of increasing budgetary pressures. This article considers the foundations in so‑called library privilege exceptions in copyright law that underpin the long‑standing practice of ILL, aiming to address recurring issues and questions around what is permitted within the legislation, and which limitations apply. The focus is on addressing the ILL situation as it exists for non‑profit UK HEI academic libraries, including looking at some perceived ‘grey areas’.

The latest Opinion from #UKSGInsights journal: Andrew Johnson from the University of Sheffield Library - "Interlibrary loans, subscriptions and copyright in the UK academic library sector" dub.sh/55gEiGy

English is widely used as a lingua franca in scholarly communication, yet preserving local languages is vital to reaching a broader audience. Disseminating research in multiple languages can help ensure equitable access, a responsibility shared by both publishers and authors. This study examines the practices of both groups to identify any notable differences. Several academic social networks, preprint servers and repositories are analysed to evaluate the resources currently available and their existing policies. Additionally, journals that actively promote multilingual dissemination are reviewed to understand their implementation strategies and how these align with the standards set by their DOI Registration Agency (DOI RA). From the author’s perspective, differing policies across platforms can heavily influence decisions, mainly because not all platforms provide relationship metadata. Publishers face similar challenges, underscoring the urgent need for standardization. Moreover, the lack of consistency creates opportunities for unethical practices in academia, such as counting the total of citations originating from the same article in different languages. This highlights the importance of a more comprehensive approach to evaluating research beyond citation and document counts. Collaboration among publishers, authors and other stakeholders is essential to fostering greater understanding and preventing misconceptions in the academic landscape.

New from #UKSGInsights: "Multilingual research dissemination: current practices and implications for bibliometrics" dub.sh/NJjpJG3

New from #UKSGInsights: dub.sh/fKKinbV

University journals: a semi-systematic literature review of trends, challenges and future research directions | Insights

The latest from #UKSGInsights: "University journals: a semi-systematic literature review of trends, challenges and future research directions" Maryna Nazarovets dub.sh/fKKinbV

The transition of many academic journals from the subscription model to open access shifts payment for publishing services from readers to producers of knowledge. Although this transition makes publications openly accessible to readers globally, many authors and institutions worldwide face financial barriers to publishing in the journals they choose at affordable prices. In response, cOAlition S (an international consortium of funding organizations advocating for open access) commissioned Information Power to develop a globally equitable and sustainable pricing model for academic publishing. We recognize that many stakeholders prefer a scholarly publication ecosystem without charges of any kind, and particularly author-facing charges, for open access publishing. While charges remain part of the scholarly communication landscape, then we feel strongly that open and transparent data should be used to calculate more equitable prices that reflect local purchasing power. This article presents the model that has been developed, the guiding principles and tools developed to support implementation, along with background explanations of the key challenges to developing a framework that ensures authors contribute in line with their means. It also discusses stakeholder feedback and explores potential applications of the framework in achieving a fairer and more inclusive scholarly publishing landscape.

The latest from #UKSGInsights: "A model for publishers to introduce globally fair and transparent pricing" by @wisealic.bsky.social @davejago.bsky.social Herman Mentink and @lorraineestelle.bsky.social dub.sh/JpMmP7P

TikTok is the video-sharing social media platform of the moment. Young people, most often of the age of undergraduate students, are its primary users. Creating a library TikTok profile and sharing video content on the platform is consequently an excellent way for academic librarians and their libraries to engage with their student users. This case study explores the strategy employed at the Ferriss Hodgett Library at the Grenfell Campus of Memorial University for creating and sharing engaging videos on our library’s TikTok and other social media channels. Providing a critical evaluation of TikTok use and discussing themes and ideas for video content alongside best practices, this article outlines how short-form videos can be leveraged via TikTok and other video-based platforms to make the academic library and its staff more relevant and approachable, and lay the foundation for building stronger and more meaningful relationships with students.

The latest from #UKSGInsights: "Reeling them in: using TikTok and video content to leverage engagement.." by @chelseahumphries.bsky.social dub.sh/7ILu90X

This case study explores the role of the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) in increasing the visibility and accessibility of Ukrainian academic journals. Ukrainian journals face numerous challenges due to economic constraints and the ongoing war. The article presents how open infrastructures play an important role in supporting journals during conflict, invasion or major disruption, using DOAJ as a case study. It analyzes what has worked and what could have been improved in DOAJ’s approach, including its collaborative efforts with the Supporting Ukrainian Editorial Staff (SUES) project, the Open Ukrainian Citation Index (OUCI) and Research4Life as initiatives to increase the visibility, transparency and impact of all digitized Ukrainian academic journals, despite the ongoing war with Russia. Recommendations are presented to increase the quality and visibility of Ukrainian journals and to guide open infrastructures in supporting journals from conflict areas.

The latest from #UKSGInsights - "Open infrastructures in conflict zones: a case study of @doaj.bsky.social and Ukrainian journals" (Authors: @ozimba.bsky.social, @katrinesundsbo.bsky.social, Natalia Laiuzhna and Iemima Ploscaru) dub.sh/rVBTHTI

This case study presents the context, governance and operations of the European Diamond Capacity Hub (EDCH) launched in January 2025. The EDCH will coordinate diamond open access (OA) capacity centres in Europe and consolidate and align the diamond OA organizations that provide services and tools to diamond OA outputs in Europe. In this way, it will provide the backbone for a scholarly communication infrastructure that is owned and operated by the academic community without charges for authors and readers.

The latest from #UKSGInsights: Pierre Mounier and Johan Rooryck "Federating diamond OA in Europe and beyond: the European Diamond Capacity Hub (EDCH)" dub.sh/hpNatCZ

Barriers and benefits of transitioning to an equitable open access model: interviews with LIS journal editors | Insights

The latest from #UKSGInsights: "Barriers and benefits of transitioning to an equitable open access model: interviews with LIS journal editors" from Teresa Schultz, Rachel Borchardt, Dede Dawson dub.sh/S18tjDf

The latest from #UKSGInsights - Jaclyn McLean, Uni Saskatchewan and @iangibson.bsky.social of @uofguelph.bsky.social "Investing in open: Canadian challenges in bibliodiversity" dub.sh/J1Ml1Oh

Peer review is a cornerstone of scientific advancement, intended to provide an unbiased evaluation of research originality, rigour and merit. While this process is intended to be impartial, increasing scrutiny has focused on the adequacy and fairness of the peer review process across various scientific fields. Questions regarding the reliability, accountability, potential reviewer bias and competence of peer reviewers have been raised. Despite these concerns, there has been very little empirical research directly addressing these issues.

The latest from #UKSGInsights Ridha Horchani, Sultan Qaboos University: "Impact of institutional affiliation bias in the peer review process" dub.sh/A23qbPu

Open access (OA) has become a critical component of academic publishing, promoting free access to research outputs. The Oxford University Research Archive (ORA) plays a crucial role in this by serving as the institutional repository, tasked with the collection, preservation and dissemination of the University of Oxford’s scholarly output. However, the demands of ensuring compliance with OA policies, particularly those set by funders and the Research Excellence Framework (REF), have imposed significant administrative burdens on both researchers and support staff. This article explores the evolving landscape of OA at the University of Oxford, the shift towards gold OA, the integration of automated systems to ease administrative load, and the future directions for improving OA policy adherence and research dissemination.

The latest from #UKSGInsights - Jason Partridge from @bodleianlibraries.bsky.social "Automating the collecting of full text research articles and descriptive metadata to the Oxford University Research Archive (ORA)" dub.sh/oUROlGb

How can we achieve sustainable funding for open access books? | Insights Insights: the UKSG journal (2048-7754) aims to support UKSG's mission to connect the information community and encourage the exchange of ideas on scholarly communication, specifically to:Provide a for...

The latest from #UKSGInsights: Tom Grady, @Copim.bsky.social, Elaine Sykes, Lancaster University and Martin Eve @eve.gd, Birkbeck "How can we achieve sustainable funding for OA books?" dub.sh/CvprmVS

This article provides an in-depth look at the Gates Foundation’s open access (OA) policy journey as 2025 marks a decade of OA policy for the foundation. There have been two iterations of the policy – the original version that was launched in 2015 with a focus on gold OA, and which was then adapted in 2021 to reflect the Plan S principles, including limitations for publisher payments based on journal type and repository deposits. Now, in response to the ever-evolving needs of the scholarly ecosystem, the foundation is updating its policy again to strive for broader impact and to support practices that drive greater inclusion of scientists around the world, particularly those from low- and middle-income countries. This article will provide a deep dive into the decisions and data used to define a more equitable approach to dissemination of the research funded by the foundation.

The latest from #UKSGInsights: @openaccessmaven.bsky.social, Ashley Farley, reviews ten years of OA experiments and evolution at the the Gates Foundation dub.sh/0KA2jLU

Thema and world needs: exploring bibliodiversity through open access book subjects | Insights Insights: the UKSG journal (2048-7754) aims to support UKSG's mission to connect the information community and encourage the exchange of ideas on scholarly communication, specifically to:Provide a for...

#UKSGInsights, we are delighted to publish today the article by
@ronaldsnijder.bsky.socia which explores the concept of bibliodiversity by analysing the consumption of open access books across different regions. doi.org/10.1629/uksg...

Preparing institutions for the transition: consortial cost-sharing models in transformative agreements in Austria | Insights Insights: the UKSG journal (2048-7754) aims to support UKSG's mission to connect the information community and encourage the exchange of ideas on scholarly communication, specifically to:Provide a for...

The latest from #UKSGInsights - Rita Pinhasi and Brigitte Kromp, University of Vienna "Consortial cost-sharing models in TAs in Austria" dub.sh/DFjMgXX

What is an academic book publisher? An Ibero-American contribution to the definition | Insights Insights: the UKSG journal (2048-7754) aims to support UKSG's mission to connect the information community and encourage the exchange of ideas on scholarly communication, specifically to:Provide a for...

The latest from #UKSGInsights "What is an academic book publisher? An Ibero-American contribution to the definition" Esteban Giraldo-Gonzalez et al dub.sh/O84iFGL

Investing in open access at the University of Minnesota | Insights Insights: the UKSG journal (2048-7754) aims to support UKSG's mission to connect the information community and encourage the exchange of ideas on scholarly communication, specifically to:Provide a for...

The latest #UKSGInsights - "Investing in Open Access at the University of Minnesota" dub.sh/osE0bZc #OA

You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone: the changing landscape of UK learned society publishing | Insights Insights: the UKSG journal (2048-7754) aims to support UKSG's mission to connect the information community and encourage the exchange of ideas on scholarly communication, specifically to:Provide a for...

The latest from #UKSGInsights - Rob Johnson @rschrobUK.bsky.social - and Elle Malcolmson "You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone: the changing landscape of UK learned society publishing" dub.sh/iiG4gZi

Classifying open access business models | Insights Insights: the UKSG journal (2048-7754) aims to support UKSG's mission to connect the information community and encourage the exchange of ideas on scholarly communication, specifically to:Provide a for...

The latest from #UKSGInsights - Classifying open access business models" by Tasha Mellins-Cohen - @tashamc.bsky.social - bit.ly/3NaS5Ot

The latest from #UKSGInsights - Robin Sinn, Iowa State University Libraries and Rachel Caldwell from UMass Amherst "Library Partnership Rating: a case study about an open, community-built rubric to evaluate journal publishers" bit.ly/3XsrjG2