Who should own the publications that university researchers write? The public that funds some of the research? The universities that hire academic researchers and provide infrastructure? The publishers who disseminate the work? How do we get research to those who can benefit from it: quickly, and without paying too much?
This Australian Research Council funded project, conducted by a team that includes some of Australia’s leading copyright law and policy scholars as well as expertise in Indigenous Australian research, is looking at how Australian universities and researchers currently make decisions about where and how they publish. We are developing research management models for Australia and guidance for Australian researchers and decision-makers, backed by legal and policy analysis, and evidence from funders, researchers and research managers. With better legal management of the papers that researchers publish, we can ensure the widest possible communication of Australia’s world leading research, ideas and knowledge. With better models for Australia, we can ensure that Australian Indigenous interests are fully incorporated even as we move to a more open research environment. Both of these goals are critical to ensuring that research gets to the people who can benefit from it, and that it is used to improve well-being, societies, sustainability and economies.
