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Topic 5 2015

Topic 5: Reflection on Open Access

This week the topic shifted slightly in its outlook from how we work and integrate ourselves into using the web, to ethical dilemmas faced by grad students and the education system worldwide in regards to open access information online, with the web once again acting as a gateway to giving possible solutions. Reading the posts of others on the subject drew my attention to different sides of this debate. Continue reading →

Topic 5: Reflection

Before researching open access, I was unaware of its various advantages and disadvantages. I have spent three years at university researching various topics and yet I have only ever encountered a few restricted journals. However, I never considered why these journals were off limit and what affect this had. Through the university I have read hundreds of academic journals, but I have never given any thought to the cost that the university must have paid in order to provide this access. Continue reading →

Topic 5: Reflecting on Open Access

The blog posts this week have produced divided opinions and highlighted the debate that exists around open access. All the blog posts agree that open access is a fantastic concept, but it is not as simple as it seems. Though public funded access should be freely available this is not a utopian society and people have to make money and research grants can only stretch so far. Continue reading →

Reflective Summary: Topic 5

Researching and blogging for this topic has been a real eyeopener. Having chosen to take a slightly alternative approach from the ideas presented, by focussing on the online press as opposed to academic research, I think I shed a new light on the issue. That isn’t to say, however, that similar issues did not arise. Continue reading →

Topic 5: Reflective Summary of Open Access

Topic 5 was the more outstanding topic that all students wanted to discuss. I am saying outstanding because the issue of open access was something that students maybe faced everyday when they tried to access some of the academic materials that they needed. I personally found it really frustrating whenever I wasn’t authorized to access journal articles for free. I was not alone to share my frustration about producers not let us access their materials for free. Continue reading →

Topic 5: Reflective Summary

This week’s topic on the advantages and disadvantages of Open Access for the content producer generated some interesting thoughts amongst fellow UOSM2008 students. It additionally prompted several of us to try new ways of presenting our blog posts: Prezis, SlideShares and videos were abundant! What stood out the most this week was the overwhelmingly positive response to Open Access.  I was not alone in sharing my frustration at restricted access to articles. Continue reading →

TOPIC – 5 Reflective Summary

Before I encountered this topic of Open Access (OA) I was absolutely clear and convinced that when something comes to you for free then it is always good and OA was one of them [1]. Upon doing this topic, I then started seeing the other side of the coin through reading others people’s blogs and comments. I found there are good debates on Bartosz Paszcza’s Blog [2] and I start wondering. Continue reading →