Érudit has joined OPERAS as a Core Member, strengthening Coalition Publica’s presence within this European research infrastructure. This development will foster greater Canadian participation in major international open science initiatives, while showcasing Canadian expertise in digital scholarly publishing.
Coalition Publica takes a new step forward in its commitment to open science. As the signatory to the agreement, Érudit has attained Core Member status in OPERAS, the European research infrastructure dedicated to open scholarly communication in the humanities and social sciences. Érudit thus joins its partner, the Public Knowledge Project (PKP), longtime Ordinary Member of OPERAS. Through the participation of its two partner organizations, Coalition Publica will now further bring the Canadian perspective and expertise in scholarly publishing and dissemination, acting as a national node in this international organization. This membership will strengthen ties between the Canadian and European open scholarly communication communities.
Representing Canada’s Voice Within an International Infrastructure
Through Érudit’s participation as a Core Member, Coalition Publica will take part in OPERAS’s governance and strategic direction, creating opportunities for greater global cooperation and collaboration for Canadian institutions and researchers by strengthening ties to the international Social Sciences and Humanities research infrastructure community.
PKP has long been involved in OPERAS and has participated in several projects under the OPERAS banner, including ALMASI and CRAFT-OA, and the expansion under the Coalition Publica banner is an opportunity to pursue further collaborative work on major issues for the future of scholarly communication —including diamond open access, multilingualism, platform interoperability, open infrastructures, and international standards. By participating in working groups and pursuing greater integration with projects like the European Diamond Capacity Hub, Érudit and PKP together as Coalition Publica, will help represent the interests of Canadian stakeholders, to ensure that local needs and perspectives are integrated into broader European initiatives. It also reflects OPERAS’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with international partners that share its values of open science, community governance, and open infrastructures.
“By collaborating more closely with the various European communities brought together within OPERAS, Coalition Publica will help advance shared standards and practices that will facilitate the day-to-day work of Canadian scholarly journals and, ultimately, enhance the quality of scholarly communication on an international scale. ” says Gohar Ashoughian, Dean of Libraries and University Librarian at Simon Fraser University and Co-Chair of Coalition Publica’s Steering Committee.
A Shared Vision of Open Science
Coalition Publica and OPERAS share a common vision of scholarly communication that is community-driven and based on open infrastructure. Both organizations also advocate for open science that respects linguistic, cultural, and disciplinary diversity—which is particularly essential in the humanities and social sciences. By building bridges between national sovereign digital infrastructures we reinforce our global capacity to answer society’s most pressing questions.
“Researchers need open infrastructures that allow them to disseminate their work, collaborate across borders, and share their knowledge in all its diversity. By joining OPERAS, Coalition Publica will help bring Canadian and European communities closer together so that research can benefit from ever-stronger tools and collaborations,” says Frédéric Bouchard, Chair of Érudit’s Board of Directors and Co-Chair of Coalition Publica’s Steering Committee. “This recognition also highlights the contribution Canada can make to advancing open science as a public good.” he adds.
Drawing on the complementary expertise of Érudit and the Public Knowledge Project, Coalition Publica intends to actively contribute to OPERAS’s work and thereby strengthen the ties between the Canadian and European scholarly communication ecosystems, with the goal of promoting a more open, inclusive, and sustainable flow of knowledge, facilitating the internationalisation of research without losing diverse cultures, languages, and traditions of scholarly practices.
About Coalition Publica
Coalition Publica is a partnership between Érudit and the Public Knowledge Project aimed at advancing the dissemination of research and Canadian digital scholarly publishing. In collaboration with libraries, we support the community of journals in the humanities and social sciences in their transition to sustainable open access.
About OPERAS
OPERAS is the European research infrastructure dedicated to open scholarly communication in the humanities and social sciences. It brings together organizations from many countries to develop services, standards, and infrastructures that promote open, multilingual, and community-governed scholarship.
