Nubian Studies: A Case Study in Scholar-Led Open Access Publishing
UCSB Library is pleased to present Nubian studies scholar, punctum books co-director, and philologist Vincent W.J. van Gerven Oei.
Vincent will discuss how community-focused, scholar-led open access publishing can help launch fields of inquiry and study that otherwise would not have adequate resources to establish themselves, because most publishers would consider the discipline too "small" and thus too risky to commit publishing resources.
Part of Vincent’s work focuses on the study of the Old Nubian language, and the development of a new grammar, which he discusses in the article Remarks toward a Revised Grammar of Old Nubian, from the open access journal that he is founder and co-editor of, Dotawo: A Journal for Nubian Studies. The journal has essentially served as an incubator for a new, collaborative and inclusive approach to Nubian studies as an area of inquiry. Starting such a journal as a traditional subscription endeavor, with a commercial publisher, would have been incredibly difficult.
Through outreach, advocacy, and support, the Library works to create a more scholar driven and economically sustainable scholarly communication system, which improves access to scholarship and the reach and impact of UCSB scholarship.
UCSB Library thanks its co-sponsors of this event: the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center, Department of Linguistics, the African Studies Research Focus Group at UCSB, and punctum books.