SPARC Innovators are named by the SPARC staff in consultation with the SPARC Steering Committee. Criteria include but are not limited to a commitment to:
- Reducing barriers to access, sharing, and use of scholarship, particularly in the scientific research field;
- Advancing the understanding and implementation of open access to research results;
- Working to create a balanced scholarly communication system;
- Use of technology to develop alternative publishing and communication solutions;
- Refusing to be constrained by the status quo and implementing new and creative ideas that are backed by research;
- Vision of the library as a focus for and/or supporter of change;
- The belief that individual actions can have a profound and positive impact in the scholarly communication field.
A SPARC Innovator can be an individual, a group of people, an institution, or another group that has been active in the areas listed above. Their actions may be broadly defined and may include online activity (i.e., postings on listservs and Web sites); on-campus programs and conferences; writing and editing (i.e., articles and books); promoting awareness and activism among others; and creating technologies and/or programs. There is no monetary award for SPARC Innovators.