Completing the Circle: Open Access to Translational Research and Scholarly Works

Abstract

IUPUI’s Center for Translating Research Into Practice (TRIP) and IUPUI University Library (Library) developed a partnership to enhance community access to faculty scholarship resulting from community-engaged and translational research. Library staff archive the scholarship of faculty affiliated with TRIP in IUPUI ScholarWorks, the campus’s open access institutional repository. The TRIP Scholarly Works Program was launched in 2013 and outcomes include benefits for faculty authors (increased readership) and for a world of readers (free access). After almost 10 years in existence, Library and TRIP staff sought to evaluate the success of this program. A survey was distributed to TRIP affiliated faculty to assess the impact of open access to their scholarship on their work as community-engaged and translational scholars. Faculty participants report a variety of benefits and yet, also indicate a need for increased program communication and fewer barriers to participation.