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The benefits and influence of rankings on the world of academia have long been the subject of controversial debate. Rankings generally focus on measurable output, which can have unintended consequences, for example leading universities to concentrate on increasing the number of publications instead of improving the quality of their content. Although rankings purport to comprehensively measure universities’ diverse achievements in teaching and research, they cannot do so as they reduce indicators to a score and focus on quantitative criteria.
As a result of these conflicting approaches, UZH has decided it will no longer provide data for the THE ranking.
The University of Zurich has actively campaigned for many years, both nationally and internationally, for a culture of openness in academia. Open Science stands for open exchange, transparency and reproducibility, and promotes high-quality, efficient and impactful research. Moreover, UZH is a signatory of the international Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment coordinated by the European Science Foundation, the European University Association and other organizations, in which the emphasis is on quality over quantity. The UZH leadership team is convinced that scientific quality should be the decisive factor in all research policy decisions.
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Significant progress has been made in the transformation to Open Access in recent years, for example through Read&Publish contracts or financial support for researchers with APC costs. These measures have proven to be effective – but they do lead to considerable additional costs. In the European context, the focus is therefore now on strengthening authors’ rights, and the possibility of a secondary publication right has also been clarified in Switzerland.
Read more about author's rights and the current status in Switzerland in the UB blog.
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As of 2023, the University of Zurich provides its members with the “oa.finder“. This tool assists researchers in finding suitable journals to publish their manuscripts open access. The oa.finder also shows all journals in which UZH members can publish free of charge thanks to Read-and-Publish agreements.
UBlog OA Finder
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16.6.2023 The «Swiss Open Access Monitor» now also includes the category «Diamond Open Access» – an important step for the development of scholar-led publishing.
With the implementation of Diamond in the Swiss Journal Monitor, a more comprehensive overview of the Swiss Open Access landscape is now possible, providing valuable data for decision-makers at universities, libraries and funding organisations. This is also a positive signal to the editors of Diamond OA journals, even though not all existing Swiss Diamond Open Access journals are registered in the DOAJ.
Swiss Open Access Journal Monitor
UBlog
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Do you have questions about publishing open access, about recommended licences, or how to retain your copyright as an author? A new introductory course on open Access (in German) is now available on OLAT, where you learn the most important basics. It is open for students, staff and researchers. It takes about an hour to complete the course and makes you fit for your next open access publication.
Open Access Course on OLAT (in German)
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From March to September 2022, the project "Platinum Open Access Funding" (PLATO), in collaboration with the Institute for Applied Data Science & Finance at the Bern University of Applied Sciences, conducted a study on Diamond Open Access journals in Switzerland, their workflows, the infrastructures they use, their business models, opportunities and challenges.
The results of this study have now been published in the form of a report and a data set. For the first time, they provide an insight into the Diamond Open Access landscape in Switzerland and form the basis for the development of sustainable funding strategies as part of the PLATO project, which will run as a cooperation between six Swiss universities until the end of 2024.
Report – DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7461728
Data Set – DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7461754
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A special new item can now be found in the UZH merchandise shop. The well-known and popular UZH hoodie is now available with the slogan "I am open. Are you?". By wearing the hoodie you can express your support for Open Science. This hoodie will for sure make some heads turn. It makes for a great Christmas present, for instance for yourself! Make sure to order soon as this is a special limited edition of the classic hoodie.
The hooded sweatshirt with a kangaroo pocket is of course sustainably made: 85% organic cotton and 15% recycled polyester.
You can order your hoodie directly in the merchandise shop!
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As part of the "Platinum Open Access Funding" (PLATO) project, a bibliometric list of (already existing or upcoming) Platinum Open Access journals in Switzerland has been compiled in collaboration with the Institut Applied Data Science & Finance at the Bern University of Applied Sciences. The list provides an overview of this publication landscape and will form the basis of a qualitative and quantitative study on the opportunities and challenges of Platinum Open Access publishing in Switzerland which will be completed in autumn 2022.
The bibliometric list and the accompanying documentation can be viewed here: List of Platinum Open Access Journals
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Community-driven publishing is on the rise. The PLATO Project is committed to strengthening it in Switzerland.
Platinum Open Access – often also called Diamond Open Access – stands for high quality, community-driven publishing which is free of charge for both authors and readers. Platinum Open Access therefore aims at creating an open, more inclusive and equitable access to knowledge without fee barriers and shifts the control over publication processes from traditional publishers to researchers.
What opportunities and challenges is Platinum Open Access publishing presented with, and how can these challenges be met?
Blog Universitätsbibliothek, 18 May 2022
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Open Science must be worthwhile! Under this premise, Dr. Karin Gilland Lutz and Dr. Mihaela Falub from the office of Gender Equality and Diversity are addressing the hiring process for professorial positions. In the HI-FRAME project, they are developing a procedure that systematically includes and rewards Open Science activities in the evaluation of applicants.
Blog Universitätsbibliothek, 4 May 2022
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On January 1, 2022, the "Platinum Open Access Funding" project (PLATO) started. For this project, six Swiss universities – the University of Zurich, the University of Bern, the University of Geneva, the University of Neuchâtel, the Zurich University of the Arts and ETH Zurich – have joined forces as partners to develop a sustainable model for Platinum Open Access publications in Switzerland.
PLATO is co-financed by swissuniversities within the framework of the Open Science Program P-5.
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Legal expert Anne Schneuwly and molecular biologist Izaskun Mallona discuss what UZH’s new Open Science Policy means for their respective fields, together with Vice President Research Elisabeth Stark. The three scholars agree that the new policy increases transparency and quality.
UZH News, 7.12.2021: "An Open Future"
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During international Open Access Week 2021, the Main Library, the Center for Reproducible Science and the Open Science Office launched the Game "Open Up Your Research". You follow the researcher Emma on her way to a PhD and get to decide at each stage whether Emma should practice an open science approach or go the conventional route. What should Emma’s research process look like and what will await Emma at the end?
Open Science Game "Open Up Your Research"
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The Executive Board of the University has approved the Open Science Policy. The guidelines are a further step toward establishing an open science culture as standard practice at UZH.
UZH News: A Step Forward for Open Science - Policy approved
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The Main Library together with Central IT are offering researchers, faculties and institutes as well as libraries a new service: the Open Access Monitor: https://www.oamonitor.uzh.ch. Here you can find various thematically structured interactive dashboards that allow comprehensive assessments related to Open Access.
The Zurich Open Repository and Archive, ZORA, serves as the dataset. Every change in ZORA is immediately updated in the monitor.
Additionally, an Open Access App for Researchers is now available. The app was developed by Reto Gerber and Mark Robinson, Open Science Delegate. It allows researchers to tabulate their list of publications, including OA status, and overlap their profiles from the following sources: ORCID, Pubmed, Google Scholar and Publons.
Main Library’s Blog, 5. July 2021
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Melanie Röthlisberger provides students and junior researchers with the tools they need to do Open Science. The linguist has been working in the Data Services & Open Access department of the Main Library since February 2021.
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Professor Elisabeth Stark was elected as the new Vice President Research at UZH in January 2021 and is thus also responsible for the Open Science office, among other things. The topic of Open Science is now becoming more important than ever among researchers, not least because of UZH’s future Open Science Policy.
The Main Library’s Blog, 23 April 2021
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The Main Library’s Blog, 15 March 2021: 5 things to keep in mind that can make the writing of your Data Management Plan (DMP) easier and more successful. Furthermore, you find the most important information, links and templates for DMPs on the Main Library's website.
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We at UZH support Open Access. We commit to publishing Open Access in the future. This means that scientific papers will be freely accessible online to everyone as soon as possible.
Why is this important?
Open Access enables fast, free and sustainable access to scientific information for everyone and thus fosters scientific collaboration around the globe. The COVID-19 period made it clear how important free access to knowledge is in order to create equal opportunities in science and to solve global issues.
More information on Open Access
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