Open Publishing: How Open Access Transforms Scholarship and Shares Vital Stories

A recent webinar hosted by the UROpenEd Program explored the power of open publishing in academia, featuring two compelling case studies. Dr. Brenda Anderson of Luther College discussed her journey creating an open-access book on global femicide, focusing on missing and murdered Indigenous women. Her work, originally a sold-out print book, was re-released as a living digital document through open educational publishing (OEP) to allow continuous updates. Dr. Barbara Reul, also from Luther College, shared her experience publishing two open-access resources about facing a critical illness during the pandemic. She highlighted the transformative impact of removing access barriers, allowing her story to reach a global audience and enrich an English course on illness narratives. The session underscored how open publishing can make scholarship more responsive, inclusive, and impactful.