Social Media site or Open Access repository? Look before you leap!

What do Open Access repositories and social media sites have in common?

UCLA blogEven if you do see the distinctions between these two types of publishing platforms, some academic social media platforms would be easy to mistake as viable OA options. A recent article published by the University of California Office of Scholarly Communications explores the similarities and key differences between these two often mistakable kinds of web properties.

This helpful article will help authors distinguish emerging research networking sites from true institutional-style OA repositories (despite some misleading similarities, such as a “.edu” URL, in one case). It also points out the importance of reading the fine print included in Terms & Conditions of research networking and social media platforms, particularly where intellectual property rights are concerned.