Launch of first Open Access book by OU Institutional Open Access Book Fund

The Open University (OU) has just released its first Open Access research book as part of an OU venture to pilot an Open Access Book Fund. This fund is in place to support academics and researchers in publishing books open access, so that they are free for anyone to download and read.

The question of private sponsorship of refugees

The book, Private Sponsorship of Refugees in Europe by Dr Chiara Berneri, an OU Law Lecturer, focuses on the European experiences of private sponsorship of refugees.

After contextualising these experiences and highlighting their key features, the book offers an overview of the various programmes currently running in Europe. It then looks at private sponsorship programmes running in Europe and argues that such programmes should be further explored. This could be possible by balancing out private sponsors’ claims with state sovereignty, in matters such as welfare, integration and security.

Making research more available

Dr Berneri said: “I am extremely grateful to the OU for allowing me to publish open access. In less than a week since the open access publication the book has received 23 downloads. This fast and instant visibility would have not been possible otherwise and I am confident that this will increase citations and avenues for future collaborations.

“Furthermore, open access makes research much more accessible. I am thinking about people that are not affiliated to a university or even students and/or academics whose institutions will not or cannot purchase the book. I am glad that they will be able to read it too, with a simple click.“

Communicating the impact of research

Dr Berneri’s research demonstrates a level of impact which means it will make a valuable contribution to the OU’s Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2029 submission.

Dr Simon Lavis, the OU’s REF 2029 Unit of Assessment Lead for Law who is also a Senior Lecturer in Law said: “It is fantastic that the Institutional Open Access Book Fund is in place to support the publication of valuable research that can make a significant contribution to the University’s Research Excellence Framework 2029 submission.

“I am particularly pleased that Chiara, as a member of the Law School, has been the first to benefit from this fund, to make her excellent book available to the widest possible audience."

Making ideas and knowledge available across the world

This research pilot comes under the umbrella of Open Research, which is one of the three key elements of focus in the OU’s Research Plan 2022-2027. The other two are Open Societal Challenges and Next Generation.

Professor Theo Papaioannou, who chairs the Open Access Book Fund panel and is also the OU’s academic lead for Open Research said: “I am delighted to see Chiara’s excellent book published Open Access with the support of our Institutional Open Access Fund. This publication demonstrates the commitment of the OU to make ideas and knowledge from its research available and accessible to everyone in the world. The OU is a leading UK institution for open and engaging research in line with its distinctive open mission.”