[IRTalk] Recording now available: Beyond the Ivory Tower - Real World Importance of OA

[bernie.folan at oaspa.org]

OASPA is delighted to share the recording of our lively "
<https://youtu.be/-k1gs7FpbFo>Beyond the Ivory Tower” webinar
<https://youtu.be/-k1gs7FpbFo> about the real world importance of open
access today.


Watch this video to hear about how about how open access is

   -

   “bridging the gap between what we know and what we do” at the frontline
   of emergency healthcare and communicating best available evidence to those
   working to save lives and stop human suffering;
   -

   fostering openness of ideas, letting new concepts flow freely; and
   -

   delivering “something spicy” that can be found in the “detail of
   humanities scholarship”.

Despite over 50% of users who are not academics reaching open publications
in 64 topics <https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2107760119#fig01>,
personal opinions and mixed messages abound. Are we meeting people where
they are? Or expecting them to meet us where we are? Where and how is trust
to be found?

Our speakers did not hold back, saying many scholars are “out of touch and
elitist...”. So this conversation also ranged from “returning the
researcher to the community” to asking how we can use open access to “get
ahead of current public anger and frustration at higher education and
scholarship.

The recording of this vibrant conversation is accompanied by written
responses to questions directly from panellists for questions that we did
not have time to cover during this 1-hour session as well as resources
shared in the live chat. You can find these under the recording on the blog
post
<https://www.oaspa.org/events/beyond-the-ivory-tower-the-real-world-importance-of-open-access-today/>
.

Our thanks to moderator *Ameet Doshi*, and speakers *Lacey LaGrone*, *Beth
Daley *and *Joy Connolly*, for showing us why there has never been a better
time to engage with the potential of open access as a real-world benefit,
especially for those beyond ivory towers.

Best wishes,

Bernie


Do you have an idea
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for a webinar we should consider?
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<https://www.oaspa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Webinar-Sponsorship-Brochure-2.pdf>
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