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Dissertation Publishing Options

Traditional Publishing (TR) versus Open Access (OA)

What is Traditional Publishing?

Traditional publishing at UMI® corresponds with the model that generated the publishing industry as soon as mass-reproduction of printed material was possible. That is, the owner of intellectual property and author of the work contracts with the publisher to reproduce, distribute, and sell copies of the work. The publisher pays the author a certain portion of the revenue thus generated. That is why we also refer to our Traditional Publishing model as the ‘copy sales and royalty payments’ model. It’s been our business model since 1938, and we’ve paid out hundreds of thousands of dollars in royalties to the authors of dissertations and theses over the decades. Traditional Publishing access fee is $65. In GSAS, Brandeis will cover $65 publishing fee.

What is Open Access?

The now-common usage of the term ‘open access’ means freely available for viewing or downloading by anyone with access to the internet. Sometimes a distinction is made for ‘limited open access’ meaning that material is available free of charge to a limited group of authorized users. Our usage of ‘open access’ means the former; that is, dissertations and theses published for Open Access with ProQuest/UMI will be available at no charge for viewing or downloading by anyone with access to the internet, indefinitely. Open Access publishing fee is $160. In GSAS, the author pays the $95 difference between OA and TR publishing.

How do you choose between Traditional Publishing and Open Access?

• Check into any restrictions imposed by a funding source.
• Check if you have a patent pending, or there is patentable work in your dissertation.
• See Embargoes and Restrictions to ensure protections of patentable rights.
• Check with advisor, committee chair, trusted mentor in your field.
• Consider your own value system and professional goals. Do you believe that society will benefit from your research?

Reprinted from Guide 4, Open Access versus Traditional Publishing
PQ/UMI® GradWorks Guide F2006