CUL launched the Diamond Open Access Journals platform in May. This one-year pilot project, initiated by Open Research Systems (ORS) and the Office of Scholarly Communication (OSC), aims to support Cambridge's research community in the evolving open research and scholarly publishing environment.
The library is exploring how to support a vibrant ecosystem of DIY publishing projects uncovered by OSC researchers. As part of the project, CUL is engaging with researchers to find out if open, community-developed platforms meet their institutional publishing needs, using the DSpace repository platform which also supports Cambridge’s Institutional Repository, Apollo.
Current project activities include implementing interoperable infrastructure, gathering use cases from Cambridge's community-led open access journals, and assessing DSpace's suitability for journal publishing, including cost and resource requirements. Four student-led journals are participating initially: The Cambridge Journal of Climate Research, the Cambridge Journal of Human Behaviour, Cambridge Journal of Visual Culture, and Scroope.
Future efforts will focus on evaluating resources and costs for transitioning from pilot to service, ensuring sustainable long-term access and preservation. Cost considerations include onboarding, hosting, storage, and content preservation. The project will also explore long-term content preservations options including integrations with existing services like CLOCKSS or in-house preservation via CUL’s Digital Preservation Programme.
For more details, see the Unlocking Research blog by Dr Agustina Martínez-Garcia, Head of Open Research Systems, Digital Initiatives.