There is a growing concern in the humanities over ‘inhumane’ working conditions and practices that are damaging to scholars and the disciplines they work in. In recent years, tremendous institutional and governmental pressure has been placed upon university departments to show return on investment (ROI) for the scholarship they support.

Students are being faced with a false choice between the liberal arts and technical fields. Philosophy, English, and history majors are warned to prepare for un- or underemployment, while classmates in engineering and computer science are assumed to have six-figure salaries waiting after graduation.

In contrast with the ‘technical and specialist skills’ associated with STEM, contributions from graduates of the HASS sector are poorly understood. This report makes the case for a clearer articulation of the value of HASS in the context of Australia’s future workforce.

Birmingham has defended his intervention, suggesting most Australian taxpayers would prefer funding be directed to other research.

This White Paper draws on experiences from OPERAS partners to illustrate researchers’ concerns and to develop a guide with FAQs and solutions to address these issues. The White Paper concludes with advocacy suggestion sheets tailored to different stakeholders involved in Open Access in the social sciences and humanities (SSH).