We are pleased to invite you to take part in the Research Monitoring Survey – National Open Access Monitor, Ireland 2026. We welcome responses from anyone interested in research monitoring – regular users, occasional users, or those new to the Monitor. Your insights and experiences are essential in helping us strengthen and expand this national infrastructure. The purpose […]
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The Irish Research eLibrary (IReL) has been appointed as the new host of the National Open Research Forum (NORF). This transition follows a formal mandate issued by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS), which reflects IReL’s national leadership in delivering open scholarship infrastructure and services across Ireland’s higher education […]
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IReL is embarking on a strategic planning initiative that will shape its direction and priorities for the next five years. Research Consulting (UK), an external consultancy with expertise in research information, library strategy, and stakeholder engagement, has been appointed to lead the development of the new strategic plan. Rob Johnson, Managing Director of Research Consulting, said: “IReL occupies a unique position in Ireland’s research infrastructure, […]
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As the Maynooth University community marks Green Week (23–30 March), it’s an ideal moment to highlight the ways in which IReL contributes to environmental responsibility, climate action, and a sustainable scholarly future. IReL is strengthening Ireland’s climate and sustainability efforts by expanding open access, promoting transparent research infrastructure, and now taking new steps to understand and reduce the environmental impact of digital […]
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IReL and OpenAIRE have announced the completion of a comprehensive assessment of Ireland’s National Open Access Monitor using the OSMI Principles of Open Science Self‑Assessment. This evaluation marks a significant milestone in Ireland’s commitment to advancing transparent, responsible, and high‑quality open science practices. The National Open Access Monitor, launched to track and report on the open […]
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IReL is pleased to announce a new open access publishing agreement with ACM. Under this new arrangement, authors across participating IReL member institutions will be eligible for uncapped open access publishing rights with ACM, subject to standard article review and acceptance processes. This means that eligible authors will be able to publish open access in […]
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Since 2025, IReL has been promoting and coordinating members’ supports for Diamond open access publishing. Diamond open access means OA without any barriers to participation: the content is freely available to anyone to read or reuse, and authors anywhere are free to publish their works without publication charges or needing to be eligible for OA publishing agreements. IReL already funds support for OA without barriers (such as with our […]
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IReL has signed a new three-year agreement with AIP Publishing. The agreement covers eight participating Irish institutions and expands access to AIP Publishing’s portfolio of physical sciences research while supporting a sustainable, transparent transition to open access publishing. Under the terms of the agreement, researchers affiliated with participating IReL institutions will benefit from streamlined publishing […]
Read More →IReL is happy to welcome Andra Matthews to the team as our new Licencing Officer. In this role, she will work with publishers, IReL member libraries and IReL colleagues to negotiate and manage a large number of IReL’s license agreements, and ensure that these agreements meet IReL’s Principles for Negotiations.
Read More →From 1st January 2026, IReL’s new one-year agreement with the American Chemical Society (ACS) will provide read-only access to ACS content. Unfortunately, despite extensive negotiations with the publisher, an agreement on pricing and terms for open access publishing could not be reached. IReL remains committed to supporting open access and will continue to work with […]
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IReL, Maynooth University, Mill Street, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, W23 H3C2, Ireland