A New Model for Open Access

What exactly does “access” mean in OA? Some university presses have begun to publish works open access, but this often means that either the authors or their institution have to provide large subventions to make this possible. Join Beth Bouloukos (Lever Press) to discuss the benefits of OA broadly, particularly platinum OA—the version that is neither market dependent nor contingent upon subventions.

Along with its benefits, OA has many challenges. One is a reputation problem. Presses are dealing with this through rigorous peer review. But when we say something is peer reviewed, what exactly do we mean? Scholarly publishers of all kinds (OA and traditional, commercial and non-profit) claim that their uniqueness pivots on the process of peer review. However, when we ask individual presses what form that process takes, the answers vary. Beth Bouloukos will discuss the work being sponsored by Lever and MIT on a signaling system for peer review transparency as well as the unique challenge that DH projects pose in the peer review process.

Sponsors: University of California Humanities Research Institute, UC Irvine Humanities Commons 

Beth Bouloukos acquires broadly in the humanities and social sciences for the open access and digitally native Amherst College and Lever Presses. She previously acquired books in education, Latin American/Latinx studies, and gender and sexuality studies at SUNY Press for seven years. Beth received her PhD from Cornell University where she researched Latin American literature, film, and culture through a feminist lens.  She has also served as a visiting assistant professor at Fairfield University and the University at Albany, SUNY.