Open Access Publishing

This year’s Open Access week theme continues the call to put “Community over Commercialisation” and prioritise approaches to open scholarship that serve the best interests of the public and the academic community.  

JCU open access activities will be held during the course of Open Access Week, 21-27 October, 2024:

• Announcement of the winners of the 2024 Open Access Awards
• Availability of a series of video interviews with JCU researchers discussing their open access publishing strategy
• Green Open Access projects across the University
• Release of a number of social media posts marking Open Access Week
• Calendar of seminars organised by Open Access Australasia
• Updated Open Access Guide for information about the many benefits of open access and how you can publish open access.

The ECR Open Access Champion 2024 Award will be awarded to the JCU ECR who, in the opinion of an expert judging panel, has made the greatest contribution to Open Access through their research publications within the previous three to four years.

The winner/s will receive a $200 book voucher sponsored by JCU Library.

The Judging Panel will comprise: 

• Professor Hallam Stevens (Associate Dean Research, CASE)
• Associate Professor Wendy Li (Associate Dean Research, CHS)
• Dr Ailie McDowall (2023 Winner and Senior Lecturer, Indigenous Education and Research Centre) 
• Tove Lemberget, Team Leader, Repository and Research Outputs Coordinator (Library)
• Jayshree Mamtora, Manager, Scholarly Communications (Library).

To mark Open Access Week 2023 (21-27 October), JCU Library and the Graduate Research School (GRS) are once again pleased to invite entries for the HDR Open Access Advocate; competition. The theme for this year's Open Access Week once again, is Community over Commercialisation.

This year we are asking entrants to produce a poster, similar to one they might present at a conference, addressing the theme.  We recommend that HDR candidates seeking to enter, access poster training provided by Dr Tullio Rossi at Animate Your Science. Details of how to access this training are available by contacting grs@jcu.edu.au.

The judging criteria for the 2024 competition are shown below.  Overall, we are looking for a pleasing and persuasive combination of text and visual imagery that offers strong advocacy for the benefits of Open Access publication.

The competition is open to all JCU Higher Degree by Research (HDR) candidates, with the prize awarded for the best response to the question: 

How does Open Access help the cause of Community over Commercialisation?

Judging Criteria: 

• Does the poster provide a clear and simple answer to the question?
• Is the poster comprehensible to a wide range of audiences across multiple disciplines and interests? 
• Does the poster provide engaging information without trivialising the issue? 
• Does the poster convince the judges about the benefits to open knowledge? 
• Does the poster include an eye-catching image that is appealing and relevant to the topic?
• Is the take-home message clearly identifiable?
• Is the text concise (no more than 200 words)?
• Is the colour scheme pleasing and layout easy to navigate?
• Did the entrant convey enthusiasm for their advocacy of the benefits of open knowledge? 

All PhD candidates who submit an entry will be entitled to claim 1 point in the Leadership and Initiative category of RD70003 Professional Development.

Prize

The winner in each category will receive a $200 book voucher, jointly sponsored by the JCU Library, and the GRS. 

The Judging Panel will comprise:

• Dr Tasmin Rymer (Associate Dean Research Education, CSE) 
• Catherine Toh ( 2023 winner and HDR Candidate, JCUS)
• Professor Liz Tynan (GRS)
• Dr Wayne Bradshaw (Research Services Officer, Library) 
• Jayshree Mamtora (Manager, Scholarly Communications, Library).

Terms and Conditions

• By submitting the following form, you are accepting these terms and conditions.
• Only one entry per eligible person will be accepted.
• Prizes are not transferable, not refundable and not redeemable for cash.
• Winners will be determined by a judging panel of JCU Staff.
• The result of the competition is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
• To redeem the prize, the winner must have a valid email account and provide a valid postal or delivery address.
• Proof of identity must be provided by the winner in order to receive the prize.
• JCU Staff are not eligible to enter the competition except where the staff member is also a current HDR candidate.

All entries should be submitted here to enter the competition. The winners will be announced during Open Access Week.

The Open Education Champion Award 2024 will be presented to the staff member who, in the opinion of an expert judging panel, has made the greatest contribution to open education at JCU during 2023-2024.

The award celebrates an individual who has significantly advanced the uptake of open education and textbook affordability strategies at JCU. This initiative aims to enhance the student experience by making education more accessible and affordable while supporting JCU’s innovative digital-first learning and teaching approach. During the JCU Library’s Textbook Affordability Project (2024-2025), this award particularly acknowledges open education and textbook affordability advocacy targeted at first-year core subjects.

A $200 prize will be awarded to the individual who has contributed the most toward:

• promoting open educational values
• the significant reduction of textbook costs for students
• promoting excellence in open educational resources.

The JCU Open eBook Excellence and Impact Award honors an outstanding open educational resource published in 2022 or 2023 that significantly enhances the JCU student experience. This award acknowledges the significant efforts of authors in creating an eBook that has made education more accessible and affordable, while promoting JCU’s innovative digital-first learning approach. During the JCU Library’s Textbook Affordability Project (2024-2025), this award particularly acknowledges eBooks that target first-year core subjects.