Knowledge for everyone: How open access expands the reach and impact of the university press
AU Press has a legacy of trailblazing innovation in Canada and North America as a university press like no other
When AU Press was created in 2007, it did something unheard of among university presses in Canada.
Instead of publishing scholarly books and journals and charging readers, sometimes hefty prices, AU Press opened itself to the world like no other.
“Essentially, we make material available to people for free from the moment of publication, and that’s the big difference,” says Megan Hall, the former longtime director of AU Press and now interim associate vice-president of academic services.
We are bringing the research and knowledge held at universities to anybody that wants it. That speaks to our commitment to access and opportunity.
For Open Access Week, we asked the AU Press team to explain what makes an open access press different from a traditional university press, why AU is a leader in the space, and whether the future really is wide open.
How does open access work?
With a traditional university press model, some publications can cost upwards of $100 or $125 because the cost to produce them is high and the audience might be narrow, Hall says. “The result is that only certain people can then afford it.”
By making its material available for free, open access university presses help bridge the gap between the academy and public. In doing so, AU Press is working to reduce barriers and advance AU’s core priorities of providing access, opportunity, and community like no other university.
“You can purchase an AU Press print book or ebook for an affordable price, but you can also read it for free on our site or download a digital copy.”
AU Press has an interactive reading platform that allows users to download, view, annotate, and share books and ideas among a wider community.
“Athabasca University was formed around the idea of bringing education to everyone, no matter a person’s background or location. That’s what makes AU like no other university,” says Hall. “AU Press is really an extension of that commitment.”
Authors benefit from expanded reach
AU Press authors benefit from publishing in open access by reaching a global readership, something that traditional publishers struggle to do. That’s why authors from across Canada and the globe publish with AU Press.
“Above all, authors want their material to be read,” says Hall, “and there is no denying that open access material has more readers.”
That increased readership can lead to higher citations for AU Press’s authors, she adds, meaning the knowledge they share is used to inform other scholarly works.
Is the future open?
Questions about the viability of the traditional university press have been raised in academic circles for decades. Indeed, MacKinley Darlington, interim director of AU Press, recognizes that “it’s a very unique space” because university presses aren’t designed to turn profits, but produce works for the public good.
As Canada continues to produce a greater number of PhDs who are seeking opportunities to publish scholarly work, there are increased demands on the publishing world. Within the social sciences and humanities, which typically represent the bulk of long-form works published by university presses, the demand for publishing services remains strong, Hall and Darlington say.
“There are a number of really great Canadian university presses publishing work on issues that matter by scholars who deserve a platform for their ideas. From that perspective, the industry is very healthy,” Hall adds. “I think that there’s space for a diversity of publishing models.”
The Canadian university press environment benefits from the knowledge about open-access publishing that AU Press has gained, just as AU benefits from a vibrant community of presses, she adds.
In Canada, only a handful of university presses are publishing regularly in open access. Concordia University Press launched an open access press a few years ago while the University of Calgary Press and University of Ottawa Press have embraced partial open-access models.
Federal policy changes are expected to make open-access a requirement to access funding from Tri-Council research granting agencies—Canadian Institutes for Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. A policy review in 2025 could require publishing in open access peer-reviewed journals.
“AU Press is well-positioned to leverage our history of innovation and commitment to open access to navigate the changes,” Darlington says.
Whether the number of open university presses grows depends largely on investments from institutions. In that regard, AU continues to be unique among universities, she adds.
The support Athabasca University provides to AU Press truly is like no other.
“It allows us to focus our efforts on access and impact so we can best serve the interests of the public and academic community. That goes back to who we are as a university and as a university press, and what we aspire to be in the future.”
A university Like No Other
Athabasca University is a university like no other, uniquely focused on the core priorities of access, community, and opportunity.
