What makes a good champion?

This page lists what we believe are some of the things behind what has made their champions go beyond what they could have done in the area of Open Access, Open Science and Open Education.

What makes a good champion? What are his/her beliefs, skills, abilities and characteristics?

A good champion is

• someone who understands what Open Access (OA), Open Science (OS) and Open Education (OE) is both as a reader and a publisher,
• often a researcher, student or teacher who convinces his/her peers of OA and OE,
• a person who advocates the concepts of OA, OS and OE in their local research communities,
• an OA, OS or OE expert and contact person,
• a pioneer in open thinking,
• enthusiastic and interested in things “new”
• and convinced that OA, OS and OE is the better way for scientific and education communication.

A good champion believes

• in the importance of the Open Access, Open Science and Open Education cause,
• in spreading the Open Access, Open Science and Open Education message,
• in the benefits of sharing scholarly and educational outputs openly with others,
• in the impact of value in all research outputs, and not just in journals.

A good champion sets an example

• by publishing work Open Access or sharing this for Open Education purposes where possible,
• by seeing Open Access, Open Science and Open Education as a normal part of his/her daily work
• and by depositing his/her work in the institutional repository or open information discovery system.

A good champion has

• the ability to navigate the complex discussion on Open Access, Open Science and Open Education and scholarly communication with clarity,
• the desire to promote Open Access, Open Science and Open Education within the institution and help others promote it,
• the drive to push for the institution to embed Open Access, Open Science and Open Education,
• the ability to discern facts from myths,
• the courage to go against the establishment,
• the skill to be able to talk as equals with a range of researchers, teachers, managers or administrators from junior to senior / positive to hostile,
• the ability to discuss an emotive topic,
• has a clearly defined researcher profile (ORCID).

A good champions acts by

• openly sharing his/her experiences with others,
• engaging in discourse and debate,
• keeping others involved and on track,
• engaging and supporting reliable peers to relay political action on the ground,
• consistently advocating for unrestricted access to knowledge,
• promoting the idea that being more open will make openness easier for everyone,
• working on several levels to make headway: as a researcher, a teacher or reader, as a university president, or collectively to mobilise the institution, as well as an individual,
• strengthening the idea of OA and OE within the community of students, young researchers and teachers, supporting them in adopting Open Access and Open Education helping them integrate these practices in their daily workflows,
• recognising the important role that libraries can have in promoting Open Access, Open Science and Open Education taking action to provide them with active roles, e.g. managing institutional repositories,
• not considering journal-based metrics in hiring, promotion or funding decisions.

Click here to read more about how to get champions involved or how to get keep your champions engaged and informed.

What other characteristics make a good champion? Please share your thoughts in the box below.