Being open as an early career researcher

Presented March 4, 2014 at SPARC 2014 Open Access Meeting as part of the Professional Development panel.

Not all scientists have access to the scientific literature. At one of the largest federal research institutes in Mexico, our access is limited and does not include some of the highest profile journals in biology and medicine, such as Nature Medicine and PNAS. Students and researchers studying a range of problems in public health struggle to get the information they need to be current in their fields. Open access to the scientific literature is urgently needed worldwide, and it will take the support of scientists at all career levels to make it happen. Early career researchers are in a position to be game changers, ushering in a new era of open science. But many are concerned about the repercussions of publishing in open access journals on the visibility and impact of their work and their prospects for obtaining employment, grants, and tenure. I tackle these concerns with a discussion of publishing options, changes to licensing agreements, self-archiving, and other ways in which early career researchers can be open and successful. I also discuss how those at more advanced career levels can support early career researchers in being open.