BARRIERS TO OPEN ACCESS PUBLISHING AMONG ACADEMIC STAFF IN STATE-OWNED UNIVERSITIES IN SOUTH-SOUTH NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined the barriers to open access publishing among academic staff in state-owned universities in South-South Nigeria. The study aims to assess awareness of open access publishing, identify its major barriers, evaluate the influence of institutional support and recommend strategies for improving engagement with Open Access publishing. Descriptive survey research design was adopted, with a structured questionnaire titled: Questionnaire on Barriers to Open Access Publishing in South-South Universities (BOAPSSU). A non-probability sampling technique using purposive approach was adopted. Participants were chosen based on their accessibility and relevance to the study. A total of 250 academic staff drawn from Rivers State University, Akwa Ibom State University and Niger Delta University, Bayelsa were purposively selected and given questionnaires. Out of these, 221 questionnaires were properly completed and returned. Data were presented in tables for clarity and analyzed using mean scores and standard deviation. Results indicated a moderate level of awareness of open access publishing among respondents. Major barriers identified were inadequate ICT facilities, unreliable internet access, costly article processing charges, and weak institutional repositories. In addition, insufficient institutional support and the absence of capacity-building initiatives were found to restrict staff engagement with open access publishing. The study concludes that although open access publishing offers significant benefits such as wider visibility, increased citations and global academic recognition, systemic and financial obstacles also remain barriers. The paper recommends improving ICT facilities, subsidizing article processing charges, strengthening institutional repositories and organizing training to enhance sustainable open access publishing adoption among academic staff in state-owned universities.