The awards recognize faculty who have made their research open or used open materials in their courses.
The Texas Tech University Libraries recently announced the recipients of the 2021 Open Access Awards.
Open access is the free, immediate availability of research articles online, coupled with the rights to use these articles fully in the digital environment. The University Libraries recognizes faculty members for their commitment to open access through four different recognitions: the Open Education Award, the Open Access Publication Award, the Open Access Advocacy Award and the Open Data Award.
Cecil R. Short, an assistant professor of curriculum and instruction in Texas Tech University's College of Education, was selected to receive the Open Education Award.
“I am so thankful to serve a university that has dedicated time, resources and energy to open education,” Short said. “While fee-based journals and publications serve needed and specific purposes within academia, it is important for instructors and researchers to review their purpose in completing academic work. It is too often the case that important ideas and knowledge get tucked away behind paywalls. Open education, and Texas Tech University Libraries' support of open education, allows for equal and equitable access, use and reuse of important academic work. I am grateful for this award and for recognition as a leader in creating academic resources that promote freedom, accessibility, usability and quality.”
Rosalyn A. Shim, an assistant professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Science within the College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, was selected as the recipient the Open Access Publication Award.
“As an academic researcher, I appreciate the value of being able to rapidly share research findings with the broader scientific community,” Shim said. “This way, other researchers can have the opportunity to challenge, improve, discuss or build upon whatever discoveries have been made here at Texas Tech toward creating knowledge. For me, the Open Access Award for Open Access Publication is a recognition of my efforts to foster these kinds of interactions among members of the research community, and I am truly grateful.”
Jacob Kirksey, an assistant professor of educational psychology, leadership and counseling, was selected to receive the Open Access Advocacy Award.
“I am honored to receive this award that recognizes open access advocacy,” Kirksey said. “Over the last few years, I have developed a keen awareness of the importance of promoting transparency and accessibility of the entire publication process, including sharing statistical syntax, reporting exploratory analyses and making research products accessible to the public. Engaging in these open science practices has helped me become a more rigorous researcher, a more mindful scholar and a better mentor to my students.”
Nicholas David Bowman, an associate professor of journalism and creative media industries in the College of Media & Communication, was selected as the recipient of the Open Data Award.
“I'm thrilled to be honored with the 2021 Open Access Award for Open Data by Texas Tech Libraries,” Bowman said. “For the last several years, I have worked within my field as an author, editor and reviewer to encourage and educate my students and peers about the benefits of open data for making science more accessible and more transparent. Although not all data can be ethically shared, there are some real benefits to publishing more of our research – not necessarily more manuscripts, but rather, more of the constituent parts of our research: data, study materials, observational notes and many others. I'm happy to know Texas Tech is committed to recognizing and promoting open science practices.
Faculty members were selected by the Libraries' Scholarly Publishing Team. The purpose of the Open Access Awards is to recognize faculty who have made their research open or used open materials in their courses. It is intended to assist faculty when demonstrating the impact of their work. For example, a faculty member may use the award on their dossier or vitae.
About the Open Access Awards
These awards apply to open textbooks, educational materials, data and source code. This award is not for publisher fees. The grant for publishing fees is the Open Access Publication Initiative, hosted by the Office of Research & Innovation.
