ABSTRACT
This
paper defines open access literature as digital, online, free of
charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions. It also
discusses the open access publishing models which are open access
journal ("gold road") and open access repositories or institutional
repositories ("green road"). It goes further to discuss the concept of
research productivity which is viewed as a means by which academics
contribute their own knowledge to the existing body of knowledge. The
paper stressed some justifications of open access in research
productivity as to maximize the uptake, usage, applications and impact
of the research output of your university; to measure and reward the
uptake, usage, applications and impact of the research output of your
university (research metrics); and to collect, manage and showcase a
permanent record of the research output and impact of your university.
The paper maintained that: Lack of research skills in modern methods,
lack of equipment for carrying out state-of-the art research, overloaded
teaching and administration schedules which leave little time for
research, difficulty in accessing research funds and diminishing ability
of seasoned and senior researchers to mentor junior researchers due to
brain drain as the main factors responsible for the decline. The paper
concluded that Librarians have extensive skill sets often developed over
many years. Librarians may not believe that "scholarly communication"
or "open access" has much relevance to their research productivity.
There is no doubt about the fact that Open Access provides global
visibility for researchers, their research output can be accessed
globally free of charge. This will in turn give room for easy-share of
ideas, results and inventions to build upon.