Open Access Basics

The introductory course „Open Access Basics" introduces students to the field of Open Access and Open Science. They learn about the newest developments in the publication landscape, explore the characteristics of Open Access and the difference to publications in traditional subscription-based journals.

Publication versions and legal aspects of publishing will also be discussed, as well as challenges that (young) researchers face nowadays when it comes to Open Access publishing. The introductory course is intended for bachelor students, master students and also PhD students who have little or no prior knowledge of Open Access publishing. The course takes place as a 1-day face-to-face event with online learning components before and after the course.

Organizer: School for Transdisciplinary Studies

ECTS: 1

Enrolled at UZH; registration via UZH course catalog

Bachelor, Master, PhD

After this course, students are able to
1) name important aspects of Open Science in general
2) name different versions of publications and how to publish them Open Access
3) distinguish between different creative commons licenses
4) differentiate between Open Access publications (diamond, gold, green) and traditional publications in subscription journals
5) name various possibilities how and where to publish Open Access using online research tools such as the Directory of Open Access Journals and
6) name advantages (and disadvantages) of Open Access publishing.

Preparatory tasks will be made available on OLAT three weeks before the day event and need to be completed before the course date; they take up to 8 hours to complete. Attention: The general booking and cancellation deadlines of UZH apply to this module. This course might not be suitable for first-year BA students; please contact the course administrator (Melanie Röthlisberger) to discuss your case.