5.2.1: Accessibility, Publishing, and Promotion

AccessibilityAccessibility Accessibility ensures that all people—regardless of ability—can interact with the information or services provided. As a researcher thinks about the impact of their research, accessibility in this sense refers to the ways in which others can find, review, and understand a researcher’s research. This could mean how the information is available (paywall vs. non-paywall), language used, and how the project is presented (traditional manuscript vs. digitally-born interactive project). , Publishing, and Promotion

In terms of publishing and promotion of work, accessibility is about ensuring equitable access. Many publication venues and editorial guidelines for publishing do not have accessibility requirements nor offer guidelines for authors to make their research accessible.

“Digital accessibility” refers to the principle that technology (electronic documents, websites, software, video, audio, etc.) should be equally accessible to everyone, regardless of their disabilities and without reduction in the quality of their perceived experience. According to the book Accessibility & Publishing by Stephanie Rosen (2018):

Digital accessibility requires accurate, high-quality metadata at all levels of a publication, which make the publication and the digital objects within it more discoverable, sustainable, and searchable. Visual media and multimedia must be translated to text, making their content available to search algorithms and resultsResults The section of a research article where researchers share the results from the research. This section takes the results and directly connects them to the research questions or hypotheses posed at the start of the article. Also can be called “Findings.” , and more usable in more reading contexts. The rising popularity of audiobooks (originally developed as a specialized format for accessibility) and the development of artificially intelligent voice “assistants” indicate that listening is becoming a more mainstream mode of interacting with computers and digital content. Everything that makes a publication accessible makes it more ready to be read aloud without the loss of information or functionality. Accessibility is good bookmaking in a changing environment of reading practices and technologies. (p. 22)

The Scholarly Kitchen published a series on “Advancing Accessibility in Scholarly Publishing.” In it, they highlight that different people may face different challenges in accessing digital content. Communicating and engaging both formally and informally with people of different abilities and needs gives us a better understanding of what makes our work accessible. These interactions help us build empathy and more deeply consider the user experience. We should ask ourselves certain questions. Is my research attributed with the proper metadata for discovery? Is the publishing format of my work available to all with an internet connection? Are readers able to use screen readers to access my work? Are all images embedded with alt-text? These are just some of the considerations to make when deciding where and how your work is published and how that affects your ability to promote your work to the widest audience.

Another consideration to make in promoting your work is the mode in which you present. When choosing conferences at which to present your research, it’s important to consider how attendees are able to participate. In-person participation is difficult or impossible for some people with disabilities (for a variety of reasons, including potentially being at a higher susceptibility to communicable illnesses), and removing virtual options excludes them entirely. Consider selecting conferences that offer remote attendance and that will allow you to share your slides and materials publicly. Not only will this be more accessible, but your work will then be able to reach a wider audience.

Here are some suggestions for how to make sure your research is accessible:

Consider publishing with an Open Access model.
Consider placing your work in an open institutional repository.
If you previously have or currently serve on an editorial board, and the publication does not have accessibility requirements, ask that these be written and enforced.
If you are on the planning team for a conference, make sure considerations are made for remote attendance and open resource sharing.
Ensure that web administrators you work with are aware of best practices such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and implement them as much as possible.

For more recommendations, best practices, and resources, consult the Scholarly Kitchen’s post on “Advancing Accessibility in Scholarly Publishing: Recommendations for Digital Accessibility Best Practices.”