Support for Research and Publishing

Faculty Services

Support for Research & Publishing

Institute for Research and Information Studies (IRIS)

The University Library, in collaboration with ORSCA, has established the Institute for Research and Information Studies (IRIS). The goal of IRIS is to provide professional development opportunities for faculty in their research and scholarship. IRIS also provides courses and workshops on issues related to information access, use, and production. IRIS offers online self-paced workshops and webinars in research compliance and funding, as well as information ethics, pedagogy, and technology.

Open Access publishing, APC Support, Author Fund, and Funding Sources

Cal State LA Library has agreements with several publishers to waive Article Processing Charges (APCs) for Open Access publishing. The University Library also provides limited funding each semester to support faculty and other campus authors who have limited access to funding sources but would like to publish in open-access journals.

  • Transformative Agreements

    Transformative agreements are contracts between academic institutions/libraries and publishers that shift traditional subscription fees toward supporting open-access publishing. Through these agreements, affiliated authors can publish their research open access without individual Article Processing Charges (APCs). Currently, the following publishers have transformative agreements with Cal State LA:

    For additional questions regarding transformative agreements, please contact your liaison librarians.

  • Author Publishing Charges (APC)

    Author Publishing Charges (APCs) are fees that authors must pay to publish their research articles in Open-Access journals. These charges cover the costs of the publication process, including peer review, editing, and online hosting, ensuring that the article is freely accessible to readers without subscription barriers. APCs can vary significantly between journals and publishers. Many institutions and funding agencies provide financial support for APCs to encourage open-access publishing and enhance the visibility and impact of scholarly research.

  • Open-Access Author Fund

    The Open-Access (OA) Author Fund at the University Library is designed to increase the visibility and accessibility of the University's scholarship. The Fund supports faculty and campus authors who have limited access to funding sources but would like to publish in open-access journals that require author fees for accepted manuscripts. Currently, the Library OA Author Fund is limited to publications in full open-access journals.

  • Funding Sources

    Pivot is a comprehensive funding database that provides global funding opportunities, including grants, fellowships, and awards across disciplines. For easy access, you can use the Pivot link on the Library Databases A-Z List. The registration and login directions are included on the A-Z List.

    The Scopus database is a great way to find funding sources. On the search result page, click the Funding sponsor link on the left to get a list of funding agencies and their respective scholarly output, specifically in the areas/topics of interest.

ScholarWorks

ScholarWorks is the California State University (CSU) open-access institutional repository. It supports the preservation, dissemination, and long-term accessibility of works produced by all CSU campuses. It includes, but is not limited to:

  • Faculty publications
  • Books and book chapters
  • Journal articles (including pre-publication copies or accepted manuscripts where permitted)
  • Conference papers and presentations
  • Research datasets
  • Reports and projects
  • Open Educational Resources (OER)
  • Theses and dissertations
  • Selected student work

Choosing the Right Repository

ScholarWorks is intended for scholarly and educational works.

CSU Digital Archives preserves historically significant institutional records and primary-source materials, including:

  • Photographs
  • Audiovisual materials
  • Other archival collections

Faculty who are unsure of which repository to use are encouraged to contact their liaison librarian for guidance. 

Submitting Your Work to ScholarWorks

To deposit in ScholarWorks review the Submitting Your Work to ScholarWorks at Cal State LA Guide. 

More Services

  • Open Access Journal Hosting: ScholarWorks can host open access journals published by the Cal State LA community.
  • Repository Support: Liaison librarians can assist with publisher permissions, manuscript version, accessibility requirements, and selecting the right repository.

Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID)

ORCID provides faculty with unique researcher identifiers that ensure consistent attribution across publications and funding applications. Faculty are encouraged to register for an ORCID to improve visibility and streamline their research records.

Research Impact Metrics

The Research Impacts Guide helps faculty assess their research influence through citation counts, journal impact factors, and altmetrics. Research impact is the demonstrable contribution that research makes to academia and society. Support is available for using these metrics to showcase research impact in grant applications, tenure, and promotion. Tools like Cabell’s and Scopus empower faculty to assess your research’s visibility and impact, guiding your publishing choices and strategies.

Cabell's is a resource that provides faculty with tools to evaluate and enhance their publication strategies. It features acceptance rates, impact factors, and publication trends. Cabell's offers resources for identifying reputable journals and avoiding predatory publishing practices, enabling researchers to make informed decisions about where to submit their work.

Scopus is an abstract and citation database that provides insights into research impact through its extensive collection of peer-reviewed literature. It offers citation analysis, allowing faculty to track citations of their work, assess journal metrics (such as h-index and journal impact factors), and explore citation trends over time. Scopus also facilitates the identification of potential collaborators and emerging research areas and funding sources, helping researchers position their work effectively within the broader academic landscape.

Systematic Reviews

If you are in the process of developing a systematic review methodology, visit our Systematic Reviews Guide. In the guide, you can learn more about how the library can help with your systematic review, the 10 steps to conducting a systematic review, and more.

Citation Management Tools

RefWorks and Zotero offer faculty easy ways to collect, organize, and format research citations. The Citation Linker assists in connecting to full-text articles directly, ensuring streamlined referencing and bibliographic management. The Library has a subscription to RefWorks, which connects to most of our databases and OneSearch for search result export, bibliography generation, storage, and sharing. Citation Linker is a part of OneSearch functions and can be accessed directly from the OneSearch Advanced Search page.

Guidance on copyright, fair use, and intellectual property rights helps faculty protect and manage their scholarly output.

Emeritus Faculty Support

The Library support is extended to Emeritus faculty for continued access to research tools, library resources, and publication support, fostering ongoing contributions to scholarship even after retirement.