Self Archiving Policies of Library and Information Science Journals: A SHERPA / ROMEO Study

Abstract

Self archiving helps in increasing the visibility and maximizing the impact of research. Researchers are not taking advantage of self archiving due to the lack of awareness and other factors. This study was initiated to identify the self archiving policies of library and information science journals. A SHERPA/ROMEO database was used to identify self archiving policies of the journals. Data was collected on different aspects of journals like self archiving permissions, format of self archiving, embargo, location and general conditions laid by journals. Analysis of the study revealed that 85% of the journals included in the study were green colour, which means that author can archive pre-print and post-print or publisher pdf. Analysis of self archiving policies of publishers was also conducted and it was found that majority of journals allowed for pre-print archiving but post print archiving was allowed with some restrictions. The study revealed that majority of journals allows self archiving of documents in different stages of publication.