As a writer, you may not consider the realm of dissemination and preservation applicable to your own work---that's the librarian's job! However, how accessible your work is to other users and scholars once published plays an important role in information equity. Privileged access to information and information systems can come in many forms and that access can be impacted by a number of intersectional factors, such as access to technology or institutional affiliation. As a result, access to scholarly material is financially prohibitive to most individual users. This inequitable access is not only a problem at the individual level, but can also stifle scientific progress more broadly, as many are excluded from the scholarly conversation.
Considering how your scholarly work will be accessed, who will be able to access, and who the material ultimately benefits, is an important step in the publishing process and should be an area of interest for scholars of all fields, not just librarianship.
For more detailed information on this topic, we recommend visiting the following resources:
As an author, it is important to understand publication agreements, what they allow, and how they are structured. Whether you choose a traditional or open access model, the decisions you make in publishing your research will impact how your work can be accessed and distributed in the future. There are many aspects to understanding copyright and publishing agreements. While the CItyU Library can not offer legal advice, we recommend you explore the links below for more information.
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