UCL launches its open access repository

The service provides details of over 200,000 research items. Where copyright permissions allow, the publication details are accompanied by a copy of the full text and made directly and freely available to all users. Access is currently provided to over 6,000 full text items. These were downloaded over 500,000 times in 2010. The site also includes details of the top twenty most popular downloads.

Under the framework of the UCL open access mandate, UCL researchers have been asked to manage their metadata, the description and listing of their research outputs in the UCL Research Publications Service and to upload, copyright permissions allowing, the full-text of the accompanying article or book, so that it is available in open access to anyone with an internet connection, anywhere in the world, at no charge to the user.UCL is one of the leading contributors to the 'Roadmap Towards Open Access', recently launched by the League of European Research Universities, LERU.

"The European Commission has singled out 'the dissemination, transfer and use of research results, including through open access to publications and data from publicly funded research, as one of the action points to be pursued in order to achieve a well-functioning European Research Area," said Dr Paul Ayris, Director of UCL Library Services, at the launch.

"So, it is entirely fitting that we should celebrate the launch of UCL Discovery. There is a growing body of literature which shows that authors who disseminate in this way enjoy increased visibility, impact and usage. And because Google and other search engines index Open Access repositories like UCL Discovery, authors' work can be easily found and used."

Click on the player below for a UCL Discovery promotional film

Contact: Dominique Fourniol

Links:
UCL Discovery

LERU Open Access roadmap