How do future publication plans affect theses availability in UiT’s open access research archive?

Authors

  • Tanja Larssen UiT The Arctic University of Norway

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7557/5.3948

Abstract

Watch the VIDEO of the presentation.

Open access to research results is a stated aim for the University of Tromsø – The artic university of Norway. The university’s research archive, Munin, has a well-developed system to make available the university’s own research, as well as master theses written by its students. Both master and PhD theses from UiT are delivered directly through Munin and can be made openly available on-line. Despite of this, many candidates choose not to have their theses made openly available through Munin. In my master thesis in document management, I examined why some candidates opt against, or postpone, making their theses openly available through Munin. What factors influence this decision, and are the given reasons based on actual issues or on misconceptions?

From Munin I was given access to metadata from previously delivered, and passed, master and PhD theses where the candidate wanted to withhold their theses from being made openly available in Munin. The metadata contained the reasons provided by the candidates for their decision. I also conducted an electronic survey among, then, current master students where the goal was to examine current students’ attitudes towards making their thesis openly available in Munin, and compare the results from this survey with reasons stated by former master and PhD candidates.

The main reason provided for postponing or refusing open access to their theses, given by both former master and PhD candidates, and current master students, where the fear that it would impair their chances for future publication. My study also showed that both master and PhD candidates from the faculty of health science are less likely to make their theses openly available in Munin, than candidates from other faculties. This faculty also had more candidates than other expressing concern over the possibilities for future publication.

Why do candidates from different faculties within the same university show different attitudes towards having their work openly available? Are candidates right in their concerns regarding open availability and future publication, or are these concerns based on unfounded fears? Does it matter if master and PhD candidates choses not to make their work openly available, and can candidates be encouraged to make their work available?

Author Biography

Tanja Larssen, UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Tanja Larssen is currently working as an artifact manager for the department of Culture Sciences at Tromsø University museum. She has a master’s degree in archaeology from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology from 2010. After working as a field archaeologist, she began master studies in documentation science, which she completed in 2015.

Downloads

Published

2016-10-19

How to Cite

Larssen, T. (2016). How do future publication plans affect theses availability in UiT’s open access research archive?. Septentrio Conference Series, (1). https://doi.org/10.7557/5.3948

Issue

No. 1 (2016): The 11th Munin Conference on Scholarly Publishing 2016

Section

Presentations

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  • Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  • Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  • Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).