Chapter 5: Open Access in Education Publishing: A Movement Toward More Socially Just Knowledge Dissemination and Exchange

In this chapter, the open access movement is articulated as a sustainable and viable model for disseminating research and exchanging information among individuals worldwide, particularly for those who would have previously been excluded. It is proposed that educational researchers and practitioners use technology to make educational knowledge dissemination and exchange more equitable. We believe that all learners stand to benefit when every person invested in them has access to forums to share and exchange evidence, information, and ideas through multiple, flexible formats. Thus we propose a new model for open access education journals that innovates the traditional academic journal format, breaking barriers to improve accessibility, inclusion, relationship building, international networking, and educational knowledge dissemination and exchange. We assert that the proposed education journal model can succeed in these efforts by utilizing specific strategies to maximize the possibilities for all educational stakeholders, including: researchers; policymakers; families; practitioners; advocates; representatives from organizations in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors; and representatives from community-based, local, regional, or larger non-academic organizations, to share their research and perspectives. Innovations in publishing present new challenges for publishers, and the proposed journal model is no exception; thus, important considerations and projected challenges and approaches to overcoming them are detailed. Finally, suggested resources for further reading are provided for readers wishing to establish new open access education journals or any educational tool or resource facilitating more equitable knowledge dissemination and exchange.