October 20, 2021

Join the Drexel University Libraries for a series of virtual events and discussions that explore the importance of sharing research and ways to adopt and utilize open resources in teaching and research.

Open Access (OA) Week is an annual, international event that promotes the benefits of free, open access to research. It is an opportunity for the academic and research communities to continue to learn about the potential benefits of Open Access, to share what they’ve learned with colleagues, and to help inspire wider participation in helping to make Open Access a new norm in scholarship and research.

This year, the theme of Open Access Week is “It Matters How We Open Knowledge: Building Structural Equity.” Throughout the week, the Drexel Libraries will feature the importance and benefits of free, open resources and its continuing efforts to bring OA to campus through two panel discussions featuring Drexel faculty, staff and students.

For additional Open Access Week resources and events, visit the official Open Access Week website.

Drexel Libraries’ 2021 Open Access Week Events

Adopting Open Educational Resources at Drexel University

Wednesday, October 27, 2 pm – 3 pm
Register to attend

Join the Drexel Libraries for a panel discussion with faculty from Drexel’s College of Arts & Sciences on adopting Open Educational Resources in their courses. Panelists will discuss how they came to the decision to develop an OER, the process of creating an OER, and what they’ve learned since adopting it. Panelists will also share feedback from students about using OERs in their courses.

Panelists:

• Anne Erickson, Assistant Teaching Professor, Department of English & Philosophy
• Elise Ferer, Librarian, Information Assistance and Undergraduate Learning (moderator)
• Margene Petersen, Assistant Teaching Professor, Department of English & Philosophy
• Fred Siegel, Director, First-Year Writing Program; Teaching Professor of English, Department of English & Philosophy
• Maria Volynsky, Associate Director, First-Year Writing Program; ESL Coordinator; Associate Teaching Professor, Department of English & Philosophy

Preprints, Open Access, and their Role in Scholarly Communication

Thursday, Oct. 28, 2 pm – 3 pm
Register to attend

Preprints—an early version of an academic article that has been made available by the author for others to read online for free before it has been peer reviewed or published by an academic journal—have long been part of the Open Access landscape. Many authors are now turning to preprint repositories (online databases developed for posting manuscripts prior to publication) to get their work out to peers quickly and get feedback that may help improve an article before the formal journal peer review process.

This Drexel University Libraries webinar will explore the advantages and disadvantages of preprints and how they are influencing scholarship and shaping the future of Open Access. This session, co-sponsored by IEEE, will cover a basic overview of preprints and preprint services and will include presentations from a current Drexel PhD student and the Director of Editorial Services for IEEE. Jay Bhatt, Engineering Librarian, will moderate the discussion.  

The session will cover:  

• Tips for using preprints in your research
• The benefits of challenges of using and posting preprints  
• A discussion about the role of preprints in Open Access
• An overview of the IEEE TechRxiv (pronounced "tech archive") preprint server
• Live Q/A with presenters  

Presenters:

• Jay Bhatt, Drexel University, Engineering Librarian
• Kevin Lisankie, IEEE, Director of Editorial Services
• Vignesh Perumal, PhD candidate, Drexel University, Mechanical Engineering & Mechanics

All events are free and open to all members of the Drexel community and the public. Visit the Libraries’ resource guide for more information and resources about Open Access and Open Access Week at Drexel, and follow along with the conversation on social media with the hashtag #OAWeek.