Oakland – University of California Press is entering into the Open Access space with the launch of two new products: a mega journal focused on three core disciplines (life and biomedical sciences, ecology and environmental science, and social and behavioral sciences) and a monograph program designed to take advantage of rich, digital formats.
This move is part of University of California Press’s mission to bring progressive scholarship forward in ways that continue to meet the academic community’s needs for greater discoverability, accessibility, and audience reach. Rollout for both products is planned for 2015.
“We’ve long known that Open Access would be a part of our future, but wanted to consider all aspects of how we delivered on its promise,” said Alison Mudditt, Director, University of California Press. “We spent a lot of time during our strategic planning phase involving the academic community we serve—researchers, faculty, and librarians—and hearing their ideas on what we anticipate will be seen as different and innovative approaches.”
As part of rollout previews, Mudditt will discuss UC Press’s OA monograph publishing program at a panel discussion co-hosted by the Harvard Library Office for Scholarly Communication, the Berkman Center for Internet and Society, and the Authors Alliance, Thursday, October 30 at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.This discussion, “Authorship in a Digital World: How to Make It Thrive,” will address challenges and opportunities facing authors in the digital age.
Dan Morgan, UC Press Digital Science Publisher, will be presenting a three-minute “lightning talk” during International Open Access Week. The event will part of the “Bay Area Open Access Week Event for Generation Open,” Thursday, October 23 at Berkeley Skydeck, Berkeley, CA.
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University of California Press is one of the most forward-thinking scholarly publishers in the nation. For more than 100 years, it has championed work that influences public discourse and challenges the status quo in multiple fields of study. At a time of dramatic change for publishing and scholarship, we collaborate with scholars, librarians, authors, and students to stay ahead of today’s knowledge demands and shape the future of publishing. Each year, UC Press publishes approximately 175 new books and 32 multi-issue journals in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. www.ucpress.edu
Contact: Lorraine Weston, Associate Director of Publicity | lweston@ucpress.edu
