The Office of Scholarly Communication (OSC) supports the University's mission and values, in particular 'the close inter-relationship between teaching, scholarship, and research' and 'the contribution which the University can make to society through the pursuit, dissemination, and application of knowledge'. It also underpins the Cambridge University Library Strategic Plan (please note that the link opens a PDF document) in multiple ways, but most specifically in terms of maximising 'the visibility and impact of the University's research output', enhancing the 'communication, dissemination and preservation of the University's research outputs' and by 'participating in global initiatives'.
Our value statement
The Office of Scholarly Communication works in a transparent and rigorous manner to provide recognised leadership and innovation in the open conduct and dissemination of research at Cambridge University through collaborative engagement with the research community and relevant stakeholders.
Our strategic activities
1. The OSC is working collaboratively with the Library, the Research Office and the research community to develop a robust and comprehensive set of evidence based policy frameworks relating to the publication, dissemination and the preservation of research outputs.
2. The OSC provides a service to the research community to support their requirements to share research outputs openly through the provision of an advice bureau, a stable repository service and financial & administrative support for associated charges.
3. The OSC is an active participant in and contributor to discussions and projects related to scholarly communication within the UK and internationally.
4. The OSC is supporting the continued professional development of the library community both within Cambridge and more broadly through the development of programmes and forging of alliances with external partners.
5. The OSC works with the library, administrative and research communities across Cambridge, including Cambridge University Press to identify issues and find solutions for more effective ways of sharing the research outputs of the University.
6. The OSC identifies needs and knowledge gaps within the research community and develops or commissions workshops, resources and other learning opportunities in response.
7. The OSC actively conducts research into areas relating to scholarly communication, working in an open and transparent manner, publishing in social media, the academic literature and presenting at conferences.
8. The OSC is updating and improving the systems that support the dissemination of research to automate processes and reduce the duplication of entry of information.
(Last updated: October 2016)