How green is our valley?: five-year study of selected LIS journals from Taylor &amp; Francis for green deposit of articles

Jill Emery

doi:10.1629/uksg.406

Abstract

This study reviews content from five different library and information science journals: Behavioral & Social Sciences Librarian, Collection Management, College & Undergraduate Libraries, Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship and Journal of Library Administration over a five-year period from 2012–2016 to investigate the green deposit rate. Starting in 2011, Taylor & Francis, the publisher of these journals, waived the green deposit embargo for library and information science, heritage and archival content, which allows for immediate deposit of articles in these fields. The review looks at research articles and standing columns over the five years from these five journals to see if any articles were retrieved using the OA Button or through institutional repositories. Results indicate that less than a quarter of writers have chosen to make a green deposit of their articles in local or subject repositories. The discussion outlines some best practices to be undertaken by librarians, editors and Taylor & Francis to make this program more successful.

Highlights

As with many library and information science research endeavors, this one began with a conversation
Where these authors did find a difference was in the citation trend of open access (OA) content: on this aspect of openness, they say, ‘If citation analysis can serve as a reliable measure of an OA effect, librarian authors have shown a different practice in their citing of OA articles than faculty authors’
The question arises: what is holding back librarians from making deposits of their own scholarship? As noted in the literature review section, one argument is that library administrations undervalue institutional repositories and do not impress upon their own faculty the necessity to deposit articles

Summary

Introduction

As with many library and information science research endeavors, this one began with a conversation. In 2014, after surveying these communities, Taylor & Francis made the decision to extend the program through 2014, and since extended the program through 2017 As noted in their press release from 2014, author/survey respondents indicated that the ability to deposit manuscripts immediately was extremely important to them. The study focuses on academic libraries and librarians where publication is part of their ongoing promotion and tenure review and where authors are most likely to have access to scholarly repositories to make green deposits

Literature review

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion