Build it and they will come? Support for open access in Australia

Abstract

This paper takes a critical look at the Australian open access landscape and analyses the issues with existing mandates and infrastructure through the lens of achieving open access via placing work in institutional repositories. Beginning with an explanation of the funding arrangements for universities in Australia, this paper describes the existing policy structure, the funding for physical infrastructure, how Australian theses are shared and the approach to the management of data as a research output. The second half of this paper takes an analytical view of the policies and repository infrastructure in Australia. This will demonstrate that beyond the basic provision of the tools for open access many issues affect the success or otherwise of an open access program. It will conclude by exploring areas which could be improved to allow Australia to take full advantage of the infrastructure in place to increase open access uptake in the country.