At its meeting on June 25, the Senate of York University approved an Open Access Policy, reinforcing York’s commitment to the democratization of knowledge by making its research widely accessible to citizenry and the global community.

“The Open Access Policy advances our mission in the pursuit, preservation and dissemination of knowledge by removing barriers and making our research as widely available as possible,” said Lisa Phillips, provost and vice-president academic. “Adopting this policy allows us to increase the impact of the amazing work being done by York’s faculty and researchers and to share that knowledge with the world.”

The policy was developed by York’s Open Access/Open Data Steering Committee, in accordance with the principles established by the Budapest Open Access Initiative as well as the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications. York University joins the more than 120 institutions worldwide that have adopted open access policies so far, including Canadian universities.

“Adopting a formal open access policy allows York faculty and affiliated researchers to provide equal access to scholarship, while also helping to provide greater transparency around research outcomes,” said Joy Kirchner, dean of Libraries and co-chair of the Open Access/Open Data Steering Committee. “This new policy will also increase the visibility and reach of research, ensuring work is posted to a trusted and easily accessible repository, while also strengthening researchers’ supports for their authors’ rights.”

For more information on York’s Open Access Policy, including the policy’s full text and answers to frequently asked questions, visit the Open Access Policy website.