Achieving Global Open Access by Stephen Pinfield

• August 13, 2024

Stephen Pinfield’s book, Achieving Global Open Access, delves into the crucial conditions necessary to realize an effective and equitable global Open Access (OA) system. While OA is often celebrated as a self-evident good, Pinfield addresses growing concerns that it may perpetuate global inequities and epistemic injustices. Critics argue that OA can impose exploitative business models, reinforce exclusionary research practices, and marginalize certain forms of knowledge.

Pinfield acknowledges these criticisms and expands the conversation beyond traditional publishing models and academic reward structures. He explores the broader implications of OA, questioning what constitutes valid and valuable knowledge, how knowledge is produced, and who is granted the authority to define it. To fully realize the potential of OA, Pinfield argues that it must be linked to ‘epistemic openness,’ which calls for a more inclusive understanding of knowledge. Additionally, ‘participatory openness’ is essential, enabling contributions from a diverse array of communities.

The book critically examines the challenges in implementing these forms of openness, the interactions between them, and their limitations. Through a combination of theoretical insights and practical examples, Pinfield provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state and future possibilities of OA.

Achieving Global Open Access is an essential read for academics and students in Library and Information Science, Open Access, and Publishing. It is also of significant interest to library and publishing professionals worldwide.

Stephen Pinfield, a Professor of Information Services Management at the University of Sheffield and a Senior Research Fellow at the Research on Research Institute, brings extensive experience to this work. He has been a prominent figure in scholarly communication, open science, and research policy since the early 2000s. As the founding Director of Sherpa, Pinfield played a pivotal role in developing open systems and services that support the global OA community.

This book is part of the Routledge Critical Studies on Open Access series, which offers the latest critical perspectives on OA. With contributions from international experts, the series is relevant to those in various disciplines, including library, archival, and information science, as well as media, communication, and publishing studies.

Pinfield, S. (2024). Achieving Global Open Access: The Need for Scientific, Epistemic and Participatory Openness (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781032679259