Job Title:WorkingStudent, OA Funding & Policy Research
Locations: Berlin and Heidelberg
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About the Role
The Open Access (OA) team
The OA team enables one of the fastest growing areasatSpringer Nature. It has responsibility for the overall OA business including business strategy, revenue, performance monitoring, business models, policies, and managing OA transition. Part of the wider commercial business, the OA group works in close coordination with both publishing and sales teams.
The Working Student, OA Funding and Policy Research will help enable the business transition toopen accessbysupporting inthe update and maintenance of Springer Nature’s OA funding and policy database. The Working Student will also support the OA policy team’s projects with ad-hoc market and desk research, as well asadditionalreporting tasks asrequired. The role reports to the Head of OA Policy and works closely with colleagues across the OA team to support OA strategies and initiatives.
OA funding and policy database:
This database stores information on the OA requirements that funders,universitiesand research institutions apply to journal articles, books and chapters, and the funding that they provide to cover the cost of OA publication. The database is used to support internal teams inidentifyingOA funding for Springer Nature authors to make their work openly accessible, as well as informing Springer Nature’s OA strategy and policy development.
Main responsibilities in Database update:
1. Using internet searches, searchingorganisationalwebsites, to conduct research into the policy and funding information on OA requirements and publication funding from funders and institutions.
2. Interpret these policy documents toidentifykey features of their OA policy requirements and OA funding conditions, using the framework and guidance developed by the Springer Nature OA team
3. Enter detailed information about these OA policies and funds into the OA funding and policy database using Microsoft Excel, ensuring that data is captured in a clean and consistent way
Additionalresponsibilities:
4. Produce reports and basic analysis using data from internal resources including the database, and other funding statistics on number of OA funds, impact of OA policies on SN output
5. Research details of funder or institutional policies on specific topics as required by the OA team
6. Conduct ad-hoc competitor and other desk research and reporting tasks as required, to support the OA team’s projects. Examples might include researching competitor publishers’ policies on a particular topic
7. Review lists of OA funding sources on our external website whererequired. Suggest updates to align with the data in the database
8. Explore and test AI tools. Whereappropriate, make use of AI tools to help support query policy information for database or desk research
Experience, Skills & Qualifications:
9. Proven experience of carrying out desk/web-based research is required.
10. Previousexperience or academic study of policy, publishing, or scholarly communications environment would be desirable but is not mandatory.
11. Advanced English language skillsrequired: C2 level of Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
12. Excellent internet research skills. Able to interpret,analyseand report on complex policy and other technical information
13. Strong Excel skills, including data entry, cleaning,reportingand datavisualisation( tables and graphs)
14. Able to adhere strictly to guidance/protocol to ensure that information is captured in a highly consistent andaccurateway
15. Able to create clear and logical reportscontainingqualitative and quantitative information
16. Thorough and detail-oriented
17. Strongorganisationalskills with an ability to meet deadlines
18. Adaptable and flexible. Responds well to changing priorities to meet the needs of the team
19. Knowledge and understanding ofopen accesspublishing and policies would be desirable
20. Bachelor’s degree (BA/BSc)minimumrequirement
21. The role involves interpreting complex policies and guidancecontainingtechnical language; a degree in political science, business,lawor economics would therefore be an advantage but is not mandatory
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