home Resources and Services Reach the World with MOspace

Reach the World with MOspace

Open access refers to the free access of online resources and is of particular importance when those resources are research articles, papers and publications. Open access makes these resources available to more people in more places. The University of Missouri Libraries support the goals of open access for MU research materials though the provision of MOspace, the MU institutional repository. MOspace is an online repository for creative and scholarly works created by MU faculty, students, staff, and departments.

What difference does open access make? Materials freely available on the web often reach a wider audience than those available in high-cost journals. For example, a postprint of the following article was added to MOspace in 2018.

Fisher, P. J., & Yao, R. (2017). Gender differences in financial risk tolerance. Journal of Economic Psychology, 61, 191-202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2017.03.006

Postprint in MOspace: https://hdl.handle.net/10355/62875

In the past six months, the postprint in MOspace was downloaded 350 times by users in the United States, Romania, the United Kingdom, Portugal and Germany. The top ten countries for all MU material downloaded from MOspace in the past six months are:

  • United States;
  • Germany;
  • Philippines;
  • United Kingdom;
  • China;
  • India;
  • Canada;
  • Indonesia;
  • France; and
  • Australia.

Additional countries in Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East are reflected in the top 40 countries with MOspace users. Most of these users were referred from internet browsers or search engines including Google, Google Scholar, DuckDuckGo, Bing and Yahoo.

Open access supports the efforts of MU researchers by making their research more widely available and supports scholars around the world by ensuring free and open access to important research. To find out more:

 

Ask me about open access?

 

home J. Otto Lottes Health Sciences Library, Resources and Services Enhance the Visibility of Your Work by Publishing Open Access

Enhance the Visibility of Your Work by Publishing Open Access

This week is Open Access Week! Open Access Week, a global event now entering its tenth year, is an opportunity for the academic and research community to continue to learn about the potential benefits of Open Access, to share what they’ve learned with colleagues, and to help inspire wider participation in helping to make Open Access a new norm in scholarship and research.

Recently we asked Dr.Julie Kapp, MPH, PhD, FACE, Associate Professor at the School of Medicine why she considers open access when publishing her research.

In July 2019, Dr. Kapp published Kombucha: a systematic review of the empirical evidence of human health benefit as an open access article in Annals of Epidemiology. According to PlumX metrics, the article has been picked up by several news outlets and blogs, mentioned over 500 times on social media, and continues to be the top MU-authored paper on the ScienceDirect website, with over 5565 downloads worldwide.

 

Julie M. Kapp, MPH, PhD.

Why did you choose to publish open access?

I published open access because anyone can access the paper, regardless of institutional affiliation or journal subscriptions. There is a demonstrated citation advantage. Open access also facilitates broader diffusion and dissemination of your ideas inside and outside the academic community. That means it is more accessible to journalists and bloggers who may write about your work. And isn’t the purpose of science to have a broader societal benefit? Open access allows anyone with an interest to learn about your work.

Why was it important despite the fee to move your article out from behind the paywall? Do you see a benefit to having taken the open access route?

For this particular paper, a lot of the interest comes from the topic and the timing of my paper. Still, it being open access no doubt facilitated its accessibility and circulation. This paper was highlighted in Discover Magazine, The New York Times, Yahoo Lifestyle, Psychology Today, an Australian blog, and the official news broadcast of Israel, among other outlets.

Advice to others?

If you have the funding, I would highly recommend open access. If you do not have the funding, our Departments and Schools/Colleges should consider creating resources tagged for open access requests, if we are to be competitive with top schools.

 

Learn how you can take action with Open Access

home Resources and Services Journal Budget Update and Call for Feedback

Journal Budget Update and Call for Feedback

Due to increasing costs, the University of Missouri Libraries must reduce collections expenditures significantly this year. We need your cooperation in identifying the resources you rely on most, so we can explore ways to adjust our purchasing over the next few years to better support you. We would like to hear from you, so we are inviting all faculty and graduate students to attend one of these sessions:

Open Meeting on Collections (recorded 10/23/2020)

We have posted additional information on the Libraries’ Collection Development & Management web page, where you can learn more about the issues and leave feedback for us.

We have appreciated the supplemental support from the Provost and the Chancellor in previous years to maintain subscriptions based on research needs and usage. Unfortunately, this year’s funding situation is full of uncertainty. Not only are campus funds falling short, the funding for the subscriptions purchased as a four-campus system has also diminished, and we can no longer commit to the increasing costs of our large journal publisher package subscriptions, i.e. “Big Deals” with the leading publishers: Elsevier, Springer, Wiley, Sage, and Oxford.

Our bundled subscriptions, those that work much like the cable TV bundles, will end December 31st. For 2021, we will shift to a title-by-title selection model. This action will severely reduce our total number of journal subscriptions. Our subject librarians are doing their best to identify the most essential titles to keep, and will consult with interested departments and faculty about these difficult decisions.

Information about the issues and the list of serials to be maintained will be posted on the Libraries’ Collection Development & Management web page. Please be aware that this year’s cut will include highly used journal titles across all disciplines, since we have already made substantial cuts over the preceding several years. We are reducing collection expenditures by $1.2 million, which is approximately 20% of our total collections budget. This action will likely not affect book purchasing because it is a small percentage of the collections budget.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) and document delivery will remain an effective, efficient means of acquiring materials not held by the Libraries. Most articles requested via ILL are received within one to two business days, but please note that we can experience instances of slower service due to COVID-19 disruptions. We remain committed to obtaining articles for you from all sources, even though this also incurs costs.

The Libraries support collections that are used for teaching, scholarship, research, and professional practice.  The intent is to offer the most comprehensive array of resources that is feasible with our available financial resources. The Libraries Collections Steering Committee and the Subject Selectors meet regularly to deal with the complex issues surrounding the collections that are vital to the success of our students, faculty, researchers, and other professionals in the academic community. Many institutions are experiencing these difficulties, and we continue to monitor national and worldwide trends in open access publishing and library-publisher negotiations to identify opportunities for change.

We share your concerns for ready access to the content you need in order to excel. As in the past, we encourage you to talk with your subject librarian. To ensure that you have the opportunity to learn more about the issues and participate in the conversation, we are scheduling open meetings for you to attend with Matt Martens, Associate Provost for Academic Affairs; Deb Ward, Interim University Librarian; and members of the Libraries Collections Steering Committee.

Lean times can sometimes lead to surprising solutions when people work together.  We look forward to the day when we will have the ability to sustain access to needed collections through new partnerships and new, lower-cost models of published scholarship. Let’s keep the conversation going.

Deb Ward, Interim University Librarian

home Resources and Services Take Action on Open Access!

Take Action on Open Access!

International Open Access Week is October 19 – 25! This year’s theme is Taking Action to Build Structural Equity and Inclusion.

Heard about Open Access? Now, go a step further and explore your Open Access options:

  • Identify OA journals in your subject area.
  • Explore subject-oriented open repositories.
  • Read the OA policies of journals or publishers for which you edit or review.
  • Check out the attention received by your department in MOSpace, thanks to Open Access. Click on your school/department, scroll to the bottom, and click on “show statistical information.”
  • Install the Open Access or unpaywall buttons for easy access to OA articles.
  • Read how to optimize student publishing.
  • Connect with the OpenCon community.

What is your next step?

Questions about Open Access? Check out our guide or contact your Subject Specialist.

home J. Otto Lottes Health Sciences Library, Resources and Services Overview of Recent University of Missouri Publications in Medicine and Related Fields: September 2020

Overview of Recent University of Missouri Publications in Medicine and Related Fields: September 2020

Each month we provide an overview of University of Missouri authored articles in medicine and related fields as well as a featured article from a School of Medicine author with the highest journal impact factor.

Once-daily, subcutaneous vosoritide therapy in children with achondroplasia: a randomised, double-blind, phase 3, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial” was co-authored by Dr. Daniel Hoernschemeyer of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. The article was published in The Lancet  (impact factor of 60.392 in 2019).

See the list of publications in medicine and related fields we retrieved for this month: https://library.muhealth.org/code/facultypubmonthly/faculty_publications.php?Month=September&Year=2020

*This list is not intended to be comprehensive.

Did we miss something? Email asklibrary@health.missouri.edu and we will add your publication to the list.

home Resources and Services Tools Available for Remote Group Study

Tools Available for Remote Group Study

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and some previously scheduled renovations to the reading rooms, group study space in Ellis Library, and many of the specialized libraries, is limited. We have two rooms, 114 and 114A Ellis Library, that are set up for socially-distanced group work.

Because students still need and want to study together, here are some resources you may use for remote group work.

Visit Keep Learning on the University of Missouri System website to find information about using Canvas, Zoom and more.

In addition, Microsoft 365 provides a suite of cloud-based applications. This includes Microsoft Teams, which is a collaboration tool designed to allow groups of people to work together on an initiative. Learn more at this webinar.
Additional apps are also available through Teams, including the project management tool Trello.

Starting this fall, all UM System faculty, staff and students have access to Google Apps for Higher Education (G Suite).

Mizzou students have access to a variety of online tools so they can choose the tools that will work best for them.

home Resources and Services Need One-on-One Research Help?

Need One-on-One Research Help?

Having a hard time finding resources for a tough paper or big project? Struggling with a literature review? Use Canvas to schedule an appointment via MU Connect and meet with the librarian assigned to your class.

What is MU Connect, and how do you use it? Watch this short video to find out and make an appointment today.

home J. Otto Lottes Health Sciences Library, Resources and Services Journal Prices Increase More than True Inflation

Journal Prices Increase More than True Inflation

Every year, universities face journal subscription price increases. The health sciences have been feeling the impact of these increases for at least 20 years and have been dealing with unsustainable subscription pricing for a very long time, and now it’s a problem for all disciplines.

The cost of these journals often outstrips library budgets, leaving the libraries battling both price increases and revenue stagnation.

“Many libraries are cutting continuing expenditures by cancelling or breaking up journal packages and buying only those titles for which use or demand justifies the price. Others are aggressively renegotiating contracts with publishers to reduce ongoing costs.” [1]

Take a a look at subscription costs of a few journals in the early 1980s vs. what the University of Missouri system pays now.

Journal Title Cost in 1983 Cost if Based on True Inflation [2] Cost Today
Nature $220 $354.11 $40,292.31
Science $85 $136.82 $25,884.06
New England Journal of Medicine $48 $77.26 $18,890.00

 

Why are journal prices increasing so much from year to year? Publishing companies are big businesses and they must make their business profitable. Over the years, these bigger companies have bought smaller publishing companies, causing a lack of competition and the ability to set their own prices.

Do you know the price of the journals you write for and edit? How much did they cost 5 years ago? Contact us if you’d like the price history for a journal, or to learn more about how you can help bring journal prices under control.

[1] Costs Outstrip Library Budgets | Periodicals Price Survey 2020
[2] Based on the cumulative inflation rate from the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index

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Taira Meadowcroft

Taira Meadowcroft is the Public Health and Community Engagement Librarian at the Health Sciences Library at the University of Missouri.

home Resources and Services Affordable & Open Educational Resources Team Consultation Available Now

Affordable & Open Educational Resources Team Consultation Available Now

Are you ready to explore more affordable textbook options for your students? Do you need help customizing existing OER or creating and sharing your own open materials? Request a team consultation! We can match you with MU librarians, instructional designers, and bookstore administrators who can guide you through the process of locating, evaluating, and using affordable and open educational resources. Click here to request a team consultation.

Do you want to know more about OER before diving into planning for your course? You can meet with your subject librarian one-on-one or if you would like to recruit a few colleagues to join you, we’ll create a custom OER workshop for your group that will help you know more about how to find, create and use high-quality OER. Contact Joe Askins, Head of Instructional Services, at askinsj@missouri.edu for more information.

home Resources and Services The Mizzou Libraries Are Here For You

The Mizzou Libraries Are Here For You

Whether you want research help in person while social distancing or remotely from the safety and comfort of your home, the Mizzou Libraries will stay connected with you!

Many library services — including consultations and assistance, library instruction, reserves and events — will continue remotely online through the fall with some in-person options. The emphasis on remote library services will allow faculty and students to continue their work, regardless of location.

“We want Mizzou students and faculty to have a successful fall semester! That begins by doing everything we can to keep people safe,” said Deb Ward, interim vice provost for University Libraries and University Librarian.

Among the changes that library users will find this semester:

  • Library users will be asked to display #ClearCampus app or have symptoms checked, including temperature checks.
  • Everyone in library buildings will need to wear a face mask and maintain 6 feet of physical distancing. Library users may only remove their mask while eating at the Bookmark Cafe on the ground floor.
  • An MU ID will be required to access the building after 5 pm.
  • Ellis Library will have limited hours. The library will close most nights at 10 pm, and the Check Out and Information desk will close at 8 pm. Visit library.missouri.edu/hours for the latest information on all campus library hours. Additional hours will be added after Thanksgiving Break.
  • The Check-Out & Information Desk on the north side of the first floor will serve as a single service desk for assistance in the library. Visit Ask the Librarians! for online help or to schedule a consultation.
  • Furniture and computer workstations will be spread out in order to ensure physical distancing. The library’s Safety Team will monitor the building to make sure all library users are being safe. Library patrons are asked not to move furniture.
  • Study rooms will be single occupancy only. Library patrons must use masks in study rooms and keep doors open for proper ventilation. You can reserve a study room through the online reservation system. We encourage study groups to meet on Zoom or other online platforms. If you need a space to do in-person group work, you many use rooms 114 and 114A. The furniture is set up for groups to work while maintaining proper distances.
  • The ground floor and 1st floors of Ellis Library have been designated as “quiet conversation allowed” for library users, including students who need to attend their online classes in the library. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors are designated as quiet study space.
  • Only the west entrance of Ellis Library (near Speaker’s Circle) will be open throughout the fall semester. The North entrance and the two reading rooms on the 2nd floor will be closed due to renovations of their windows.
  • The west stacks will be closed. To request books or other items, please place an online request and the library will retrieve them for you.
  • Circulation of books will resume, but receiving materials from other libraries may take longer. All materials will be quarantined when they are returned, and the items may stay on your library account during that time. No fines will be assessed for items that are in quarantine.
  • Food and drink will only be allowed on the ground floor of the library. The Bookmark Cafe has been closed for the rest of the semester.
  • DigiPrint services have moved out of Ellis Library and will be located in MU Student Center Room 1212A

Library personnel will carefully assess how the new service models are working and will determine whether services can be gradually scaled up or, conversely, whether conditions will require a return to delivering more services remotely. For the latest information on library services and hours, visit library.missouri.edu. You may also subscribe to one of our weekly email newsletters to stay up to date.

Additional Information Regarding Specialized Libraries
Zalk Veterinary Medical Library

J. Otto Lottes Health Sciences Library

Engineering Library and Technology Commons

Journalism Library