Do you believe a thesis should be open access? Scholarly community weighs in.
One of the discussions we had during the International Open Access Week 2024 was around Masters' and PhD theses now being commonly available to the public with open access. For the past two decades, it has become a common practice to publish theses and dissertations electronically and make them available openly. Although protected by copyright, there is no royalty associated with theses, unlike many other forms of published and creative content like books or music. In fact, the only major difference between open access and non open access would be accessibility of the thesis to people wishing to read it!
Do you believe a thesis should be open access?
Dr. Harish Padh, Ex- Vice Chancellor at Sardar Patel University, India
“I believe that not only a thesis but the entire scientific literature should be open access. However, we need a better mechanism of funding it so that the authors, especially from developing countries, need not pay several thousand dollars for publication.”
Dr. Lucio Miele, Senior Associate Dean of Research and Department Chair, Genetics, LSU Health Sciences Center, USA
“Personally, I favor open access, because it democratizes science and makes it accessible to the public and makes the latest findings available to learning institutions that cannot afford to carry expensive subscriptions to multiple journals."
Dr. Miranda Bader-Goodman, Principal Medical Writer, Ashfield MedComms, USA
“YES! What do the candidate and/or their mentors have to hide? Most theses in the sciences are based on peer reviewed research anyways. I remember when I was preparing my dissertation and defense presentation; much of the information that set the foundation for my thesis actually came from previous student theses and open access research articles. Furthermore, thesis students have a different mindset and way of communicating than "seasoned professionals". The way they convey that information is quite valuable for perspective.”
Dr. Anastasia Lyon, Science Communicator, USA
“I think the advantages of open access outweigh the disadvantages. In some cases, it might be necessary to place an embargo to protect novel studies and ideas from being scooped by other labs. However, the ultimate goal of scientific research is to share one's findings with others, so allowing open access promotes visibility, transparency, collaboration, and innovation.”
Keely Brandon, Visionary and creative strategist, USA and Japan
“Unless there is research that has security or intellectual property implications it can be beneficial to make a thesis open access.”
Michael Wilhide, MS, MB (ASCP)CM, Medical Laboratory Technologist and Molecular Biologist, USA
"My thesis, titled "Hsp70.1 Contributes to the NF-κB Paradox After Myocardial Ischemic Insults," was over 200 pages long and has been downloaded more than 900 times! I was amazed by the number of people who accessed my thesis since it was published as open access.
"I remember having the option to choose between open access and closed access (with a surcharge), and I firmly believe that research funded by public resources, like NIH grants, should always be available to the public. As scientists, we have a responsibility to educate and advance knowledge for the benefit of humankind. It's rewarding to know that if someone is interested in my research, they can utilize it to further advancements in clinical applications."
Dr. Jovan Rebolledo, Futures designer and Innovator, Japan
"Mandatory open access to theses would eliminate redundant research and promote the sharing of unique insights, fostering a global knowledge ecosystem that transcends individual universities.
"Open access theses could serve as a foundational dataset for training future large language models, enabling AI to build upon the collective intelligence of academic research and accelerate scientific discovery. By transforming open access theses into an open innovation platform, we can democratize knowledge and collaboratively address humanity's most pressing challenges, turning academic research into actionable solutions."
These researchers have really given us a lot of food for thought, haven't they? What do you think? Do chime in with comments and keep the conversation going!
Comments
You're looking to give wings to your academic career and publication journey. We like that!
Why don't we give you complete access! Create a free account and get unlimited access to all resources & a vibrant researcher community.
