About DOAB

Purpose of DOAB

The primary aim of DOAB is to increase discoverability of open access books. Academic publishers are invited to provide metadata of their open access books to DOAB. DOAB is an open infrastructure committed to open science. It runs on the open source DSpace 6 platform. Metadata will be harvestable in order to maximise dissemination, visibility and impact. Aggregators can integrate the records in their commercial services and libraries can integrate the directory into their online catalogues, helping scholars and students to discover the books. The Directory is open to all publishers who publish academic, peer reviewed books in open access and should contain as many books as possible, provided that these publications are in open access and meet academic standards.

Who is responsible for DOAB

The Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB) was established by the OAPEN Foundation in 2012, in close cooperation with the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) & SemperTool.

The Directory of Open Access Books is a service of DOAB Foundation. DOAB Foundation is a non-profit legal entity under Dutch law (‘stichting’), established by OAPEN Foundation and OpenEdition in 2019. Download the DOAB Articles of Association. The Foundation is based at the National Library in The Hague. Key developments and updates for DOAB are included in the OAPEN stakeholder report made available once per annum in coordination with OpenEdition.

Executive Board:

  • Pierre Mounier, Associate Director of OpenEdition and coordinator (community) of OPERAS)
  • Niels Stern, managing Director of OAPEN Foundation

Supervisory Board:

  • Neil Jacobs (Chair), UKRN
  • Antia Wiersma, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • Lionel Maurel, CNRS
  • Charles Watkinson, University of Michigan
  • Marlène Delhaye, Aix-Marseille University

DOAB Scientific Committee

The DOAB Scientific Committee advises the DOAB Executive Board and the Supervisory Board on scientific matters and monitors the development and implementation of PRISM.

The Scientific Committee (SC) consists of members with experience or knowledge in SSH scholarship and the editorial side of monograph publishing. SC members have a diverse background, representing different publishing cultures and disciplines. The SC is an independent body, to be consulted in scientific matters. Its members cannot have other roles within DOAB. SC members are appointed for a period of 4 years, and can be reappointed for new terms. Members of the Executive Board and the Supervisory Board cannot be members of the Scientific Committee. Decisions are made by consensus and, if consensus cannot be reached, by majority vote.

The chair has been appointed by the members of the SC. The chair of the SC acts as advisor to the Executive Board.

Scientific Committee members

DOAB Community of Supporting Libraries

DOAB members are part of the DOAB Community of Supporting Libraries which meets on an annual basis. Through the DOAB Community of Supporting Libraries, members can advise the Executive Board on overall policy and strategic directions for DOAB, further shaping DOAB and its development.