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 project 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).

2024 WINNERS:

• 2024 ECR Open Access Champion: Dr Emma Rehn, TropWater 
• 2024 ECR Green Open Access Champion: Dr Jackie Eagers, CHS
• 2024 Highly Commended 1: Dr Mary O'Loughlin, CPHMVS 
• 2024 Highly Commended 2: Dr Alzayat Saleh, CSE 

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.

2024 WINNERS

• 2024 Winner: Chan Lymn Wei, JCUS 
• 2024 Highly Commended: Carolyn Heward, CHS 

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.

2024 Winner: Open Education Champion: Dr Natalie Lloyd, CHS 

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.

• Winning book: Exploring Sociology in the Antipodes: Introduction to Sociology. Authors: Dr Theresa Petray and Dr Nick Osbaldiston, CASE 

“Bring Out Your Dead!”:  Make your past publications freely accessible to the world

In an effort to increase the visibility and accessibility of the university’s research outputs, we invite researchers to participate in our Retroactive Green Open Access initiative running though August to 18 November.

This activity is run in the form of a competition, where the Academic who has the largest number of restricted articles converted to "green open access" will have their achievements acknowledged in the form of a trophy. Each College/JCUS will have a winner!

Information on the competition and how to make your restricted articles Open Access is in the following word document.

2024 WINNERS:

College of Arts, Society and Education: Dr Ines Zuchowski 

College of Business, Law and Governance: Dr Breda McCarthy 

College of Healthcare Sciences: Dr Amanda Krause 

College of Medicine and Dentistry: The HART Project 

College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences: Professor Andreas Lopata 

College of Science and Engineering: Dr Mostafa Rahimi Azghadi

JCU Singapore: Dr Tan Kim Lim 

Register for Open Access Australasia webinars during Open Access Week:

Tuesday 22 October 11am - 1pm AEST

Open and Accessible: When open isn’t enough 

Open access is more than just sharing information; it’s a powerful tool for building communities. By removing barriers to knowledge and participation, open access can help make our communities more diverse, equitable, and accessible to all. This panel will explore how open access practices can foster a sense of belonging and empower individuals from all backgrounds.

• Teresa Schultz, Associate Professor, Scholarly Communications and Social Sciences Librarian, University of Nevada.
• Elena Azadbakht, Associate Professor, Health Sciences Librarian, University of Nevada.
• Adrian Stagg, Manager, Open Educational Practice, University of Southern Queensland.
• Ash Barber, Academic Librarian, Creator of EmpoweredOER, University of South Australia & CAUL.
• Mais Fatayer, LX.Design Manager, Learning Design and Technology Unit, Education Portfolio, University of Technology Sydney.

Register here

Wednesday 23 October 11am - 1pm AEST 

Communities in Action: Cutting through the rough with diamond journals and open knowledge

How are communities in our region approaching open knowledge initiatives and driving meaningful change? In this session, the panel will explore the important role of collaboration in making research more accessible. We will delve into the opportunities and challenges of open diamond infrastructure, including international perspectives, as well as showcasing successful initiatives such as the Australasian Diamond Community of Practice and the Open Access Toolkit for Aotearoa New Zealand researchers.

• Luqman Hayes, Research Services Senior Manager, Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makau Rau – Auckland University of Technology.
• Reggie Raju, Director, Research & Learning, University of Cape Town.
• Koichi Inoue, Subject Librarian, Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington.
• Lyndall Holstein, Faculty Librarian (Science & Health), Charles Sturt University.
• Tracy Creagh, Journal Manager, Academic Journals, Queensland University of Technology.

Register here

Thursday 24 October 11am - 1:30pm AEST 

Communities con-tech-ualised? How can technologies support communities and their decisions around opening their knowledges?

In this session we focus on the use of technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, by and for various communities, and what that means in relation to Open Access, particularly in an Indigenous context. Our speakers will explore differing perspectives on openness, on technologies in and for community and how to build relationships and address the technology knowledge gap.

• Lee Timutimu, Advocate & voice for Māori in Digital and Tech.
• Yanti Robeyarn, Senior Specialist, Indigenous Initiatives, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Data Archives (ATSIDA), University of Technology Sydney.
• Ryan Stoker, Team Leader, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Data Archives (ATSIDA), University of Technology Sydney.
• Lesley Acres, Manager, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services and Collections, University of Queensland.
• Angie Abdilla, Professor, School of Cybernetics, Australian National University.

Register here